










<^ *- O « ^ ^"f^ < 




MEM OIRS 



O F 



Mrs. Ixebecca S teward. 



CONTAINING: 

A FULL SKETCH OF HER LIFE, WITH VARIOUS SELECTIONS FROM 

HER WRITINGS AND LETTERS; ALSO CONTRIBUTIONS FROM 

BISHOP CAMPBELL, D.D., PROF. B. F. LEE, OF WIL- 

BERFORCE UNIVERSITY, B. T. TANNER, D.D., 

EDITOR OF THE Oiristian Recorder, 

REV. T. GOULD, MRS. ELIZA- 
BETH LLOYD, AND WM. 
STEWARD, 

' V 

BY KEV. T. G. STEWARD. 

The motto I taught my boys was "Aim at the Sun ! If you do not bring it 
down, you will shoot higher than if you had aimed at the earth."— Rebecca 
Steward. 

"Her children shall rise up and call her blessed." ,„,^^ 




PUBLISHED AT THE 

Publication Department of the A. M. E. Church, 

No. 631 Pine St., Philadelphia, Pa. 
1877. 






Copyright, 1877, by Rev. T. G. Steward. 



a. 



f 



To DANIEL A. PAYNE, D.D., 

Senior Bishop of the Africau Methodist Episcopal Church ; 

IN RECOGNITION OF HIS LEARNING, TALENTS AND PIETY; 
AND AS A TESTIMONIAL TO HIS HIGH APPRECIA- 
TION OF FEMALE EXCELLENCE THIS LITTLE 
VOLUME IS AFFECTIONATELY 
INSCRIBED. 

rHE AUTHOR. 



CONTENTS. 



PAGE 

Introduction, 3 

In Memoriam, Poem, 7 

PART I. 

Chapter I. — Ancestory and Parents, 11 

Chapter II. — Birth, Home, etc., 16 

Chapter III.— Wife, Mother, Writer, 22 

Chapter IV. — Children all married, 28 

Chapter V. — Retrospection, 44 

Reminiscences, by Bishop Campbell, 52 

My Recollections,— Prof. B. F. Lee, 60 

Mrs. Rebecca Steward, by Dr. Tanner, 67 

Mrs. Rebecca Steward, by Rev. T. Gould, 71 

Aunt Rebecca Steward,— Mrs. E. Lloyd, 76 

PART II. 

"Two years on the Brink of Jordan," 81 

Sanctification, by Mrs. R. S., 106 

" 113 

"conclusion" " 118 

Story, " " 125 

Poetry, " " 128 



J 



INTRODUCTION 




life finished, is a proper subject for contempla- 
tion and study. To the Christian, whose eye 
is ever turning to the end of life, nothing can 
be more interesting than the life and death of the 
saints. It is never difficult to secure a large congrega- 
tion to the funeral services of a well known Christian. 

In looking upon a life closed, from a Christian stand- 
point, we see the Divine and the human blended. We 
see human nature moulded by divinely cast circum- 
stances; we see character developed and displayed 
through these occasional circumstances. The "hidden 
man of the heart " is brought out, and we are able to 
see the inner through the outer life. 

To this pleasant and profitable study, the reader of 
these pages is invited. He will be brought in contact 

with a life, humble and perhaps commonplace, but in- 

(iii) 



iv . INTRODUCTION. 

teresting at every step, because always earnest and 

real. He is invited to follow that life through a re- 

sponsible, laborious and thorny pathway ; and to see 

manifest, a character always glowing in brightness and 

stronger than any emergency. 

He may learn the secret of that brightness and 

strength if he will. It is not of man but of God. He 
may hear a faith express itself before great difficulties 

(as I have often times) in these words : " Who art 

thou great mountain? before Zeruhbabel, thou 

shalt become a plain." Zech. IV. 7. 

And, if his eyes are cleared to see the things of God, 

as were those of Elisha's servant, as he and his master 

stood in the midst of the Syrian hosts at Dothan, he 

will see, not the mountains round about full of horses 

and chariots of fire; but a heavenly light streaming 

down upon the toiler, and a crown of resplendent glory 

held in her full view ; — an angelic hand guiding her as 

she slowly pursues her way, sometimes weeping but 

often singing, through the inspiration of the hope set 

before her. 



^ INTRODUCTION. v 

In presenting a sketch of this life I attempt to ful- 
fill a threefold duty. First, it is an act of obedience 
to the feelings of my own heart. An imperious senti- 
ment forces me to the task. This book is the tribute 
I bring to cast upon the tomb of a loved mother ! 
Secondly, I essay to discharge this duty in obedience 
to the wish of many relatives and dear friends. I feel 
myself honored in a very high degree in being thus 
called to so delicate a responsibility, and I can but 
deeply feel my inabilities. Knowing, however, their 
sincere regard for the person whose name I endeavor 
to commemorate, I feel somewhat encouraged to en- 
trust to their generosity my best efforts. Lastly, the 
interests of Christianity seem to demand this at my 
hands. A voice from above which I regard as that of 
the Master urges me to lay before the Christian world 
this life, as a help and solace to the many struggling 
ones. Reverently bowing to this call, and imploring 
His blessings upon the humble effort, I assume the pen. 
May the Lord own the work ! And here I desire also 
to express my profound thanks to those distinguished 



VI 



ISTRODUCTION. 



Christians, who have contributed most essentially to 
this volume, and to the many more, whose letters of 
sympathy and love have furnished inspiration to the 
performance of this sad, yet pleasing duty. 

T. G. S. 





BY 

WILLIAM STEWARD 

("WILL.") 
'They are love's last gifts, bring ye flowers, pale flowers."-MRs. Hemans. 



I stand alone beside the silent mound, 

The dull, cold earth beneath me, and the sky 
Dark blue o'er head —The spacious hills around 

Nor charms the gaze of my grief wearied eye; 
Sad, tired, forlorn, I sink upon the sod, ^ 

With rev'rent awe and mournful bareed head, 
I try to raise my thoughts to mother's God, 

And with afifection contemplate the dead. 

I am a boy again— a lisping child. 

With sunny face and merry prattling tongue ; 
I totter forth with joyous fancy wild, 

And sing the lullaby we last night sung; 
My young heart bounds with radiant happiness 

As some new toy my angel-mother gives. 
Or stoops to pat my head with sweet caress. 

And my glad lips her cherished kiss receives. 

Now I am grown to boyhoods first estate; 

And thorns of life 'gin prick me one by one,— 
Now aspiration's hopes, my thoughts elate, 

And now by dissappointments am cast down ; 
The daily avocations of the farm 

Bring each in turn their elements of woe, 
But mother's heart, its beatings always warm, 

Is a sure haven where I ever go. 

(7) 



IN ME MORI AM. 

Th' unruly horse my youthful strength o'erpowers, 
Or vicious cattle wear my patience bare, 

Each is recounted of in evening hours, 
In boyhood's confidence in mother's ear,— 

Ah ! we six childish ones with each our cares- 
Bespeak we each ones place, in mother's heart. 

Where we each pour our trouble, hopes and fears, 
And mother, tenderly takes each one's part. 

And at th' appointed hour the father comes ; 

Plis day's work o'er, prompt, day and day the same, 
Then happiest ours of all the happy homes 

Our lessons coning, or with sportive game,— 
Oh would those days of childhood linger still— 

The ev'ning game prolong— e'en daily task 
Is welcomed Unger ! youthful years ye will 

Be vanished and your stay in vain we ask ! 

Too soon with quickning steps the eager days 

Bring manhood's strength-our childhood all outgrown 
And then for life we take our sep'rate ways, 

Each son and daughter choose a course their own; 
Too soon, alas ! the shadowy curtain falls 

And sorrows, real, begin to cast their gloam. 
Our consciences' tickle with increasing galls 

As each new silv'ry hair comes to our home. 

Dear cherished ones, thy load we now wish lighter, 

Since we are grown, and see thy waning years, 
Thy daily walks we would see fair and brighter, 

But ev'ry effort still augments thy cares ; 
Affliction's hand, spares not the burdened mother. 

But suflf'rings, long, great, are thy constant lot; 
Nor stintless hand divides it with another 

Who'd die for thee and for thee be forgot. 



IN MEMORIAM. 9 

Grown, stalwart boys and buxome girls we all are 

And fain would bring renown to thy dear name — 
Pride to thy heart, and comfort to thy leisure 

By some good noble deeds, and worthy fame, 
Alas, how short we've come ! When thou comjilaisant 

Looked on expectant for some virtuous act, 
How Self appeared like some fierce tigress couchant, 

And we with evil motive seemed impact ! 

And thou art gone ! Well do I remember 

Our childhood's days again— I'd live them o'er— 
When chilly blasts of sleeting, bleak December 

Kept us, long ev'nings, close within the door, 
We stories begged and then some Bible tale — 

Of David's valor, or Saul's treachery 
Of Moses meekness or Methus'lah hale — 

Of Abraham's faith or Esau's jealousy. 

Of Enoch's constancy iji serving God, 

Of Joseph, sold a slave ; of Egypt's kings, 
Of Pharaoh's plagues, and Moses' wond'rous rod, 

And of the Psalms which ev'ry Christian sings,. 
Of John the Baptist, Christ the living Word 

Which was made flesh, and came and dwelt with men. 
Who was, and is, and shall be, God the Lord ; 

Of His disciples. Holy ones, and then 
The Revelation, and the last Great Day, 

Each in its turn, in loving tones, was given 
And thus our mother thought to point the way 

With truthful finger, to the gates of Heaven ; 
The great " Old Bible" then across her knee 

Was tender laid, — I see her sparkling eye, — 
With trem'lous voice she read the " Verily" 

And hushed, we listen'd, 'till no eye was dry. 



10 IN MEMORIAM. 

Then, kneeling, when the Word had well been read 

In very confidence she talked with God, 
And then with happy tears We went to bed, 

Now Mother lies beneath the silent sod ! 
And thus, when father was away at toil 

In fact'ry's buzz, his cherished ones to keep, 
Giving his strength for them, in hot turmoil, 

We, his dear ones, were wrapped in blissful sleep. 

But she is gone ! we've laid her down to rest 

In a soft bed of satin, white and pure 
We spread her o'er white rose buds on her breast. 

And bade her soul, waft to the better shore ! 
Where mansions fair unnumbered stand prepared 

For her and hers — her Lord had told her so 
His Fathers house, to her he said, was shared 

By those who loved as she had loved below. 

And would I grieve ? Yes, many a poisoned dart 

Have I with wilful hand flung straight at thee, 
Yet stood aghast, when it did prick thy heart, 

I mourn in silence, now — thou'rt gone from me ; 
Father, and we, the six yet still are here 

And for thy sake will serve each others good — 
Grief answers grief, now comes the ready tear. 

To bring thee back we'd weep thee tears of blood ; 
And would we weep for thee to call thee hence ? 

Again instate thee in this world of woe. 
Would we rebel and murmur — dread offence — 

Against the God whose mandate bade thee go ? 
Nay, wearied one, fly to thy hav'n of rest, 

God wills it so ; content we are to be 
Without thee here, thou dwell'st among the blest 

Forever safe in realms prepared for thee. 



PART I. 



CHAPTER I. 

ANCESTRY AND PARENTS. 

In Cumberland County, in the southern part of 
the State of New Jersey, may be found a little settle- 
*ment called " Gouldtown." It contains a church, a 
school house, a blacksmith shop, a wheelwright shop, 
two stores and a post office. The community is made 
up almost entirely of farmers, and is of course very 
conservative as to modes of thought and expression. 

It takes its name from the large family of Gould's 
who have so long occupied the place. There are, 
however, three other families more or less intermixed 
with the Gould family ; viz : The Pierces, the Hur- 
rays, and the Cuffs ; but the Goulds have usually 
maintained the leading position, both in number and 
influence. '\ 

Tradition connects this family with the early settlers 
of the State. J ohn Fenwick, an Englishman, who had 
been a Major in the Parliamentary army under Crom- 
well, and who had been specially appointed by Crom- 
well to " see the sentence of death pronounced against 

(11) 



12 MEMOIRS OF 

the king, (Charles I.,) executed, in the open streets 
before Whitehall," after the Restoration emigrat- 
ed to America. He had adopted the religious views 
of George Fox, and became associated with "William 
Penn. 

He arrived in New Jersey (Caesarea) in the year 
1675, accompanied by his three daughters, two of 
whom were married, their husbands, five grand- 
children, and ten servants. 

One grand-daughter, Elizabeth, aged at the time of 
their arrival in America at eleven years, subsequently 
caused him much grief, and, it is said did much to 
bring his gray hairs in sorrow to the grave. "He 
does not disguise the sense of shame that hangs over 
him from her course of life, and strives to make her 
understand his displeasure, by depriving her of any 
part of his property, immediate or prospective, but on 
certain conditions." — Life of John Fenivich hy John 
Clemens, 

The crime committed by Elizabeth, was uniting her- 
self in wedlock to a black man. It may have been an 
informal wedlock ; as perhaps no one could be found in 
the colony who would have dared solemnize or record 
such a marriage. For its legality it may have had to 
depend upon Heaven's authority, and not upon the 
par-blind courts of men. The "certain conditions" 
upon which Elizabeth might share a part of her grand- 



MRS. REBECCA STEWARD. 13 

father's property were, to leave "that Black," and 
repent of her sins. (See Fenwick's will.) 

A tradition universally accepted, connects the 
Goulds with the issue of this marriage. The name 
of this man, however, is not found in any of the family 
records, and in Fenwick's will he is simply contemp- 
tuously called " that Black." A vague tradition says 
he was a slave whom Fenwick purchased of some trad- 
ing vessel, giving in exchange for him a barrel of rum. 
If this should be true, the sequel shows how large a 
trouble he bought with a small price. 

Benjamin Gould, the first Gould of whom we have 
any record, is declared to be the son of this Eliza- 
beth. He is supposed to have had a brother named 
Richard. The dust of Benjamin Gould and " Ann" 
his wife, lies buried in the old family graveyard at 
Gouldtown. 

To them were born Elisha, Abijah, Samuel and 
Anthony. Samuel died January 26th, 1793, and 
Abijah in 1806. Very little, indeed, is known of this 
generation. 

It was simply an obscure family, struggling against 
terrible odds, and yet possessing intelligence sufficient 
to preserve some records and establish a graveyard. 

The graveyard is a hallowed rallying place. 
Abraham's first possession in the land of promise was 
a family burying ground ; and to this sacred spot as 



14 MEMOIRS OF 

a last earthly resting place, his immediate descendants 
were taught to look. 

To Abijah Gould were born Benjamin, Richard, 
Abijah Jr., Furman, Leonard and Hannah. 

FuRMAN Gould was for many years a licensed 
local preacher in the African M. E. Church and was 
an honored member of the Philadelphia Annual Con- 
ference. The older members of that Conference will 
readily remember his venerable appearance, coup- 
led with his somewhat brusque and positive manners. 
He was a man who had views of his own, and the 
hardihood to express them. 

Benjamin Gould quite early in life married Phoebe 
Bowen, a young women brought up in the family of 
Reuben Cuff of Salem, N. J. To them were born 
Oliver, Tamson, Lydia, Jane, Abijah, Sarah, Rebecca 
Phoebe and Prudence. 

This Benjamin Gould, the brother of the Rev. Fur- 
man Gould, is doubtless well remembered by the older 
itinerant preachers, who labored in that section of the 
country, as for instance the Rev. Richard Barney 
and Bishop Wayman. He was a man of recognized 
worth, for many years chief steward of the church, of 
some literary culture, quite a wag, and very fond of 
practical jokes. He was a thrifty farmer for his times, 
and quite an extensive dealer in cordwood and hop- 
poles. 

Phoebe Gould, his wife, was possessed of consi- 



MRS. REBECCA STEWARD. 15 

derable intelligence and evinced a fondness for learning. 
Deeply pious, her mind was well stored with Bible 
truths and with choice hymns. She manifested a 
fondness for children, and could repeat from memory 
to their delight many long stories in verse; and she 
never failed to leave upon them an impression for 
good. She seemed to live in a very holy frame, and 
did not fail to bless all who came near her. 

Benjamin Gould, the father of Rebecca Steward, 
passed away on the 18th of May 1851, and twenty-six 
years after on the same day of the month and at the 
same hour in the day, viz., May 18th 1877, Phoebe 
Gould, the mother, followed him to that better land. 
The heads of the family are gone over, and one by 
one the children who have walked in the footsteps of 
their parents are being gathered home after them.. 
The latest grave is that which contains the precious 
dust of Rebecca Ste^vard, fifth daughter of Benja- 
min and Phoebe Gould. 



16 MEMOIRS OF 



CHAPTER 11. 

BIRTH, HOME, MARRIAGE, CONVERSION. 

Rebecca Gould, afterwards E-ebecca Steward, wag 
born in Gouldtown on the 2d of May, 1820. But 
Gouldtown a half century ago was not what it is now. 
It w\as then almost unbroken forest. The early child- 
hood of this family was passed in a rude little log 
house, in which one room answered for kitchen, din- 
ing-room, parlor and bed-room for eleven souls. 

A brave and stalwart father, a slight and sickly 
mother, seven girls, fand two boys, made up that house- 
hold. A little uncomfortable school house, answering 
on the Sabbath for church, was the only public building 
known. In such circumstances, grew up this family; 
the children earlv learninof to work in the fields and 
in the woods, girls and boys, very much alike, getting 
now and then a few months in school, and working 
occasionally in other families. Thus they learned 
quite early the stern realities of life. 

This home, though rude, was the abode of good 
cheer, in which the wayworn traveler and especially 
the minister of the gospel, always found a welcome. 

Let me picture it as it lives in my earliest recol- 
lections. The log-house had then given way to one of 



3fES. REBECCA STEWARD. 17 

frame scarcely larger, and this was old. The heavy 
oaken door painted red swung lazily on its hinges, and 
the leather latch string answered for a knob. In one 
corner of the room stood an ancient corner cupboard, 
with its glass doors and abundant carvings ; in another 
the old clock, with its two brothers clasped in affec- 
tionate embrace on its front; the fire place and the in- 
novation of a ten plate stove, occupied one side of the 
room; while opposite, stood the old table, with its legs 
terminating in dragon's feet, from which I have crept 
away in terror many times, imagining that the cloth 
concealed some hideous beast. A lono; settee and a 
few rush bottom chairs completed the furniture. 

My earliest recollections carry me to this house; to 
the well that stood before it ; to the old pear tree and 
apple tree near by. But clearest in my memory are the 
white bread, the rich butter and sweet milk, that 
"Grandmother" dealt out to her hungry juvenile 
visitors with such liberal hand. Oh, how peaceful and 
sweet appear the beginnings of life when we look back 
upon them from the smoking perilous battle field of 
manhoods labors. 

At nineteen years of age, Rebecca Gould was sought 
and won in marriage by James Steward. He was then 
a young man of promise, a steady and thrifty mech- 
anic, having worked nine years in the Cumberland 
Nail and Iron works. He had been reared practi- " 
cally an orphan, his mother having gone to San Do- 



18 MEMOIRS OF 

mingo, doubtless with an intention of oneaay returning. 
She never returned ; and thus his last earthly relative, 
so far as he knew, departed. Alone he battled his way 
up. Providence, however, ultimately gave him a home 
in the family of Elijah Gould, father of Rev. T. Gould, 
where he remained until twenty-one. At twenty-four 
years of age he took to his side Rebecca Gould and 
the twain became one. 

Of James Steward and Rebecca, were born six chil- 
dren, viz: Margarette, William, Mary, Theophilus 
Gould, Alice, and Stephen Smith. 

Permit me henceforth to speak of this couple as my 
father and mother, and I beg the reader to pardon me, 
if I should manifest a degree of love and respect, which 
may seem to him somewhat partial. 

I write, I trust, as a man who feels that there can 
be no nobler sentiment than real filial love. 

Neither my father or mother were Christians at the 
time of marriage. They commenced life in the town ; 
but as children were born to them, although they had 
purchased a home in the village, they sold it and went 
to the country. 

The principal object had in view in this matter, 
was to keep their children in a* pure and health giving 
moral, as well as physical, atmosphere. I am not cer- 
tain which took the lead in this change, father or 
mother ; but it is presumable that as father had been 



MRS. REBECCA STEWARD. 19 

reared in the town and mother in the country, it was 
done directly or indirectly through her influence. 

Fortunately father and mother agreed on all princi- 
pal matters relating to the government of theii child- 
ren. They both resolved to do the best possible, to 
give them a practical education, an education that 
would be of use ; but mother being the better informed 
assumed the larger share in the direction of this edu- 
cation. She, to some extent, examined and encouraged 
the children even when in school, and kept the love of 
learning burning briskly all the time. 

About seven years after marriage she became an ac- 
tive Christian, joining the African M. E. Church in 
Gouldtown, October 12, 1846, under Rev. now Bishop 
A. W. Wayman ; and not long after my father fol- 
lowed her in a profession of faith. 

My whole recollection of my mother is of a Chris- 
tian. In my early childhood, I remember her as being 
much afflicted. During one of these long periods of 
sickness, I remember her requesting my father to sing 
the hymn ; 

" Shrinking from the cold hand of death 

I soon shall gather up my feet, 
Shall soon resign this fleeting breath 

And die,— my father's God to meet." 

I suppose she felt that her end was approaching. 
She had taken the book and found the hymn and re- 
quested my father to sing it. As soon as he saw the 



20 MEMOIRS OF 

character of the hymn he bowed himself upon the bed- 
side and wept. Though but a child scarcely above 
infancy, yet the scene is firmly photographed on my 
memory. 

r also remember during one of these long periods 
of sickness, of receiving an impression that I had seen 
her walking out in the garden. I was so sure that she 
had been out, that the next day I asked her if she 
was going out again. She surprisingly asked " Going 
out again ? why when have I been out?" " Why," 
said I " you were out in the garden yesterday." " No, 
I was not," she replied. I insisted that she had been 
out ; but she thought I had dreamed it ; and that dis- 
gusted me, when I was so sure I had seen her and 
talked with her in the garden. I carry to this day a 
distinct recollection of her appearance in the garden 
on that day. 

The facts were, as I afterward learned, that she was 
sitting by the south window in her room Overlooking 
the garden, watching me while I was playing in the 
garden. I have no explanation to offer. 

The work of my mother may be divided in at least 
three parts, viz : In her family, in the neighborhood, 
and in herself, in enduring afflictions and triumphing 
over them. 

As a wife and a mother, she fulfilled her whole duty 
in the household. She was intelligent, hospitable, and 
kind ; securing for her children the best company with- 



0- 



MRS. REBECCA STEWARD. 21 

in their reach. By extensive reading and careful study, 
she prepared herself to entertain the young and the 
old, the rude, and the refined ; and by her executive 
ability she could secure the comfort and pleasure of 
almost any number of guests. Towards the commu- 
nity she stood as an unofiicious and unostentatious 
missionary and educator. In herself she suffered the 
will of God, and gave such an example of patience as 
is rarely met with. 

I shall try to present a brief sketch of her work in 
all these spheres and refer the reader for illustrations, 
to her own writings and letters, and to the contribu- 
tions of those w^hose names honor this book. 



22 MEMOIRS OF 



CHAPTER III. 

WIFE, MOTHER AND WRITER. 

On the 21st of March, 1869, my mother was taken 
with a serious illness, which confined her to her bed 
for two years, and to her house for five years. During 
the period of her convalescence, in which for most of 
the time she was unable to walk a step, she kept her 
pen employed ; and always upon Christian themes. 
Having read the Bible with great patience and care, 
she could glean from its inspired pages, thoughts 
not unworthy a place in our best religious journals. 

It was while she was thus afilicted, that the move- 
ment for the special promotion of holiness assumed 
noticable proportions. With this movement she had 
no sympathy, and expressed unhesitatingly her disap- 
proval of any religious or political reform, lead in large 
measure by women. She wrote a series of articles on 
"Sanctification," having direct bearing upon this 
movement. Her words have lost none of their weight 
with the lapse of time, and experience of the Church. 

She commenced her articles with expressing sur- 
prise and pain, that Christians should talk about the 
time when they were sanctified ; and should set apart 
times and hold special meetings for sanctification, 



MRS. REBECCA STEWARD, 23 

"Now," she says, this argues to me that they ao 
not knotv Christ ; or they doubt God's power to for- 
give sins fully, freely and clearly ; or they do not be- 
lieve Christ when he says believe and be saved. ' He 
that believeth on me though he were dead yet shall he 
live" Jno. 11. 25. Now, if Christ does not mean to 
save to the uttermost why does he invite all the ends 
of the earth to come and be saved ? He does not say 
repent and believe now, and after awhile I will come 
to wash, cleanse, purify, sanctify you or set you apart ; 
but he says repent and believe now and ye shall be 
sabvednow.'' 

She maintained with the approval of her own con- 
science, the testimony of her own experience, and 
abundant scripture reference, that we could not be half 
in Christ and half-out, half-saved and half-lost, that 
there was no concord between Christ and Belial, no 
partnership between God and the devil. 

Her words are "We cannot be half saved and half 
lost, there can be no half-way measures with Christ, 
we must come unto Him and be saved or stay away 
and he lost.'' 

And then she says " Every part must be saved, not 
a hair of your head shall perish." As God sanctified 
the entire Sabbath from its very dawn to its clo^, so 
she argued does God sanctify the whole Christian life. 
Her faith was to the effect that all Christians were 
sanctified from conversion, and she called on all Chris- 



24 MEMOIRS OF 

tians to so regard themsexves and to so repose upon all 
the promises of God. 

During this period of affliction she wrote the inter- 
esting paper found further on in this book, entitled, 

''Two YEARS ON THE BrINK OF JORDAN." It WaS 

written with a view of reflecting her own experience. 
The cases alluded to in it of persons crossing the river 
in Charon's boat, are not ficticious, but solemn records 
of the death of some of her acquaintances. She pre- 
ferred to leave them un-named, and I would not now 
trespass upon her preference; but I repeat, the reader 
may feel assured, that in every departure of the boat 
he is looking upon a real death-bed scene,* and will 
understand that morning, noon, and evening, as there 
used, refer to youth, middle age, and old age. 

But it was in the home circle that Mother was 
best known and most honored. To exhibit something 
of her knowledge of life, I give a few of her letters 
addressed to her children. They are records of suffer- 
ing, of patience, of faith, and of love. 

January 9, 1875. 

Dear Alice. — Ihavebeenkeptathome again to-day 
by a fit of cholic, which I am having every few days 
now* or whenever I eat anything. It has not lasted as 
long to-day as usual, and was not quite as bad. Last 
Sunday I went to Quarterly meeting in the morning, 
thinking it would be sacrament service, but it was put 



MRS. REBECCA STEWARD. 25 

oif till afternoon, so I have not had the sacrament since 
August * * "5^ You must not think because I said I 
had the cholic that I am sick. I am going about, see- 
ing to my work. We killed hogs Monday, and I fixed 
all the dinner and I go visiting once in awhile, 
and to day, although confined at home, I have been 
picking some of the fruit oif life's fair tree. I can't 
tell you how much, but I have got pretty well filled ; 
but I have not got as much charity as I want. * * ^^^ 
***** Your pigeon is living and running with 

the chickens. 

Your Mother. 

The following letter was addressed to her daughter 
Alice and her husband Rev. C. C. Filts, when he 
was very sick. It explains itself, and although it con- 
tains matters of a private nature, yet I give it entire 
to show the beauty and strength of her mind and heart. 

June 26, 1875. 

My Dear Children. — I am deeply grieved that 
the dark hand of affliction should fall on you so soon, 
and I can hardly realize how hard it has been through 
all these weary weeks of suffering; but, dear Alice, I 
hope you have done well your duty, and Cethe I trust 
has born up with Christian patience. 

I would gladly have been with you if it had been 
possible. I am thankful to hear that Cethe is better 



26 MEMOIRS OF 

and hope he will take good care of himself and get 
quite well. We did not feel so much disappointed at 
your not coming ; we hardly looked for you, although 
your father would not give it up until the last train 
had come in. But do not worry to come home ; tell 
Cethe I think he has the home sickness to contend 
with now, but he must be patient as he promised. 

My visit to New York was not much ; I was so tired 
when I got there, I could not do anything. Sunday 
I went to church and Sunday School. Monday it rained, 
so I did not go out, and Tuesday I came home ; so 
you see I don't know much about anything, only the 
beautiful ride up the bay from Long Branch, which 
was amid the finest scenery I ever saw. Theoph's 
people seem to think a great deal of him; but he is 
not very well. Lizzie got down home all right and 
her brother is coming back with her. 

We are all well, but the weather is so hot we can 
hardly live ; the factory stopped yesterday for the heat. 
We are going to harvest next week; we have the nicest 
corn. 

We are having some great times about Bro. Fau- 
cett's money ; we have to pay up every week, but I 
think he is nice, and he gives us good preaching. 

I know you will not mind bad writing this hot 
■weather. 

Mother. 



3IRS. REBECCA STEWARD. 27 

In giving these two letters, I have desired to show 
my mother's appreciation of the sacraments of the 
church, and of the gospel, and her ability to give good 
counsel and comfort to her distressed children. She 
had 7iot had the sacrament since August ! She felt 
the loss, and had through much affliction gone to church 
that she might once more meet the assembly of the 
saints, at the table of the Lord, and then had been dis- 
appointed ! She put her own feelings on paper, when, 
as against the clamor and complaints against the min- 
ister, she wrote " he gives us goodpreachirig.'' Little 
did she then know that that minister, who gave the 
people, as she said, "good preaching," should one day 
be called upon to pronounce the last sad tribute to her 
worth over her open coffin. I am glad that I can put 
on record the testimony of Rebecca Steward, a woman 
learned in the Bible, and experienced in the things 
of God, in favor of the preaching of any minister. She 
calmly wrote that Brother Faucett gave the people 
good preaching. 

How she could comfort the distressed, the letters 
themselves say. A few more paragraphs will show 
how she lived in the atmosphere of Heaven, and how 
she looked upon Heaven as her near home. 

The reader will pardon this anticipation and trans- 
position of years. 



28 MEMOIRS OF 



CHAPTER IV. 



CHILDREN ALL MARRIED. 



In the spring of 1874 my mother had so far recov- 
ered, as to be able to walk about a little; and; in 
company with her oldest sister, Tamson Cuff, 
since gone to rest, she made a visit of a few weeks to 
Newbern, North Carolina. Soon after her arrival 
she wrote the following letter : 

JSfewhern, N. C.,AprilVlth, 1874. 

Dear husband, and all the loved ones at home. 

Will wrote for me last night, so you will know that 
we got here all safe ; but Tamson is not feeling very 
well this morning. I am quite as well as usual. I 
found Will and his folks as well and happy as can be ; 
Will is fatter than I ever saw him. I did not get to 
see Theoph, I can't tell why ; if you hear from him let 
me know ; and if you do not, after a week or two, 
write to Mr. Hamilton, and see where he is. It was 
cold and dreary enough when we came from home, but 
we have come right into midsummer here ; the birds 
are singing, and flowers blooming, and the swamps 
and woods along the road are as green as in the first 
of June. In the yards here, there are fig trees, and 



MRS. REBECCA STEWARD. 29 

peach and plum trees, as green with leaves as in July 
with us. They are having peas, and onions, and let- 
tuce, to eat. I had a nice bunch of flowers given to me 
last night, and I want to send you some before they 
wilt. * * * * ^Ye had a nice ride around the city 
(in Washington,) saw the Capitol, Patent Office, and 
Post Office, and I cannot tell you what else, until I get 
home. We are invited to stop a week in Washington 
on our return ; but I reckon I shall want to come 
right home when I start. 

As ever, wife and mother, 

R. S. 

She came home from this visit much improved, and 
enjoyed quite good health until the fall of '75. 
During the winter of '74 she witnessed the marriage 
of her two remaining children, and looked out upon 
life a second time almost alone. The couple that had 
married in the beginning of December '38, saw the 
last of their children married, at the close of Decem- 
ber '74. Thirty-six years had been employed in rearing 
and training a family ere the last one is given to man- 
hood, and the father and mother turn a moment to re- 
pose. Their work is done ; time shall say ifit has been well 
done. Time did I say ? Nay, Eternity ! Their work 
done, they go back in that quiet home alone, but can- 
not recall the hopes and joys of youth. When mar- 
ried thirty-six years ago, they were without the Pearl 



30 MEMOIRS OF 

of Great Price ; now they sit in that homestead, after 
exercising nearly forty years of command in the sub- 
lime domain of domestic government, and look up to 
their father's God. Now that father and mother bow, 
and unitedly pray, " God bless our offspring in differ- 
ent parts of the world ; teach them, educate them, 
give them knowledge, wisdom and understanding; 
make them useful in doing much good, and instruments 
in Thy hand in winning many souls to Thy Kingdom." 
This is no fancy sketch, dear reader, but an actual 
quotation from the prayer that went up from that altar. 

When somewhat discouraged with untoward circum- 
stances, during this period of her life, I received two 
letters from her which I have ever prized. In one she 
said : ' 'I never close my eyes at night, without looking 
over you all, and committing you all to God's care ; and 
I do pray God to keep you all ; so that when we are all 
done with the cares of this life, we shall be a family 
united around the throne — children, grandchildren, and 
all ; and we will make the heavens ring with one eter- 
nal song of praise." 

"Follow after the meek and lowly Jesus; and if 
you can't make anything of the old people, try the 
children ; sow the seeds of Divine Truth among them 
as much as you can ; leave no measure untried, no 
place neglected, as far as in you lies. Be faithful ; be 
earnest ; for remember He that goeth forth with tares 
bearing precious seed shall return again bringing his 



MRS. REBECCA STEWARD. 31 

sheaves with him. And Oh ! think of the glory, the 
rejoicing — when all the ransomed of the Lord shall 
come flocking to him — to meet those you have been 
instrumental in bringing to Christ." 

In the other she said : " Continue to look up, for 
Christ is the end of your hopes and He will never for- 
sake you. He has work enough for you to do. Seek 
to find out His will and obediently follow it. Work- 
in His vineyard wherever you find a place ; and, if 
you can find nothing else, then quietly, like your 
mother, patiently wait and speak a word for Him when- 
ever you can. Scatter seed wherever you go, and may 
the Lord bless you, and keep you and all yours, is the 
best wish of the heart of your mother." 

The summer of '75 was to the inhabitants of South 
Jersey quite prosperous, so far as the productions of 
the field were concerned, and this made abundant work 
for mother now left alone. It being difiicult to obtain 
help, the chief burden of managing the affairs of the 
farm-house fell upon her, and they were not light. She 
says, July 6, 1875, in a letter addressed to Mrs. Felts: 
" We are all pretty well and almost done harvesting ; 
the weather is very warm and I have had it pretty 
hard, but it is over now, and I have stood it right 
well." 

On the 5th of the same month she wrote a long 
letter to Mrs. Felts inviting her home. During the 
month of August, 1875 she presided over a family re- 



32 MEMOIRS OF 

union, at which were gathered all the members of the 
household consisting of over forty persons. A long 
table was spread under the trees just as the sun was 
sinking in the west, and after a short prayer by Rev. 
R. Faucett this numerous family gathered around it 
in the utmost sociality. It was their last. 

The remaining days of summer and early autumn pas- 
sed away without any material change in her health ; but 
■ as the cool weather approached, and the profuse vege- 
table matter began to die away, she was taken with a 
slight billions intermittent fever. Exposing herself too 
early on her recovery from this, she was thrown into 
typhoid fever and was by it completely prostrated. 
During the winter as she was very low, I was informed 
of her state, and came to see her, bringing her 
some nourishment, which I induced her to take, and 
there was soon a gradual change for the better. *" During 
her former illness her hair had all turned grey, and 
fallen out ; during the period of health from the spring 
of *74 to the autumn of '75 it had grown in again black, 
and now this terrible typhoid fever leaves her reduced to 
little more than a skeleton, and her hair all grey and 
falling out again. 

On the 13th of February 1876, having recovered 
sufficiently, she wrote to her daughter as follows, 
writing with her own hand : Dear Alice. The cloud 
indeed passed away, and I am much better ; I am sorry 
I troubled you, and made you sad (alluding to a 



MRS. REBECCA STEWARD. 33 

previous letter in which she expressed no hope of re- 
covery), but I thought it best then. I guess I will 
get well now, if nothing else happens. Father will 
not let me go out of the room yet ; he is very well ; 
he w^entto a donation party to Mr. Faucett's last night. 
You need not be uneasy about me, I am well cared 
for and do not wish you to come to me. I think it 
would be out of your duty and you know I always 
say "duty before pleasure;" and besides, "Aunt 
Lydia" has been with me and will come again if I 
need her. * * * * The people like Mr. Faucett 
better than they did. I cannot advise you about 
coming East. * * * You must both make it a sub- 
ject of prayer, but don't come for my sake ; 1 am 
not worth a sacrifice ; and besides I have sacrificed 
you all to the Lord. (See February 6th 1876.) I 
have laid all of you, with all that I have, on the altar ; 
all my dearest afi"ections, and you among the dearest ; 
so you see I can't take you back." And in this let- 
ter she adds "here is the last bit of my hair." 

The same date she wrote to her son-in-law. Rev. C. 
C. Felts as follows: "Dear Cethe :— I like to for- 
got, I had something to say to i/ou. I must answer 
your grumbling as best I can, for I don't like gruvi- 
blers any way. (Mr. Felts had written, that his room 
was so small that he could not walk across without 
moving things out of the way to make a passage, etc, 
and otherwise alluding to his poverty. Of course the 



34 MEMOIRS OF 

correspondence was rather jocosely conducted.) She 
continued ; 

"' 1st You forget how much larger your room is 
than the cross was ; and how many things the Saviour 
had to move out of the way ; you forget also how much 
larger those mansions in glory will appear. 

2d. You forget, too, that your bread shall be given 
and water sure ; and having food and raiment, therewith 
to be content. 

3d. You forget, too, that he that goeth forth 
weeping, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless return 
again, bringing his sheaves with him. Sow thy seed 
in the morning, in the evening withhold not thy hand, 
for thou knowest not which shall prosper, this or that. 
The other side looks so bright, I have no comments. 

Mother. 

The summer of '76 passed slowlyaway, she regain- 
ing health slowly. Her hair, which all came out 
with the typhoid fever, grew in rapidly, and again 
black. In August of that year she wrote as follows : 
" We are all well as usual. Theoph is here, and 
Lizzie is coming to day, and Bishop Payne Saturday. 
We had the finest pic-nic yesterday we have had for a 
long time. * * * I shall be to see you week after 
next, if I don't go home with Theoph ; and if I do, I 
will be there the week after. I am going to Camp- 
meeting now." 



MRS. REBECCA STEWARD. 35 

She went home with "Theoph,' passing a week 
in Brooklyn and going from there to Philadelphia. 
Her deep interest in the welfare of her children, and 
her complete resignation to the will of God are so 
apparent in these letters, as scarcely to need a hint. 
She has laid all on the altar and dare not take it off. 
She counts not herself '■''worth a sacrijiee." What 
further self-denial can be asked ? What further con- 
secration possible. 

From her visit to Brooklyn she went to Philadelphia, 
stopping a week at the latter place with her daughter, 
Mrs. Felts, and remarked while there, that she was 
taking a rest after her severe summer's labor, and 
was also visiting her children for the last time, unless 
called to them by sickness. While in Philadelphia 
she visited the great Centennial Exposition, and called 
on many of her friends in the city. On the Sabbath, 
it was her intention to visit '' Old Bethel" once more, 
but the day being stormy, she was disappointed. Her 
two weeks vacation, she said, saved her from an attack 
of sickness, and she passed the following winter in 
quite good health. She wrote me towards spring, 
saying she was rapidly 'gaining in flesh and had not 
been sick a day since her visit. 

During the month of January her oldest sister was 
taken very sick, requiring much of her attention; 
simultaneously word came that her daughter, Mrs. 
Felts, was also seriously ill. She divided her time 



36 MEMOIRS OF 

between these two afflicted ones, again visiting the city. 
As she left home to go to the city, the weather was so 
bad; she had doubts about reaching it ; but she said, 
*'My duty is to start/* Staying two weeks with her 
daughter, she availed herself of only one pleasure, and 
that was to hear Dr. Lord's classic lecture on Gothic 
Architecture. This was to her a great treat ; and her 
perception was at that time so clear, and her memory 
so retentive, that after coming home she repeated 
almost the entire substance of the lecture. During 
the month of March my brother Stephen and his wife 
moved into the homestead, to take charge of the farm. 
My mother felt sad as she brought her domestic 
arrangements within closer quarters, and remarked 
that it seemed to her '^ like having gone to the top of 
the hill and now going down again." Although she 
was delighted with her daughter-in-law and heartily 
acquiesced in the arrangement, m fact it was in accord 
with her own wish, yet she expressed a feeling of sad- 
ness as she relinquished her hold upon active and 
responsible life. What with the labor of caring for 
the sick daughter, her sick mother, and her sick sister, 
during the winter, when spring came she was very 
much worn down. The last 'letter she wrote is dated 
May 7th, 1877, and is addressed to her oldest son. 
It reads : 



MRS. REBECCA STEWARD. '61 

Dear Will : — Yours kindly received. We were 
glad to be remembered, and glad to know you had got 
so well ; we are all as usual except colds. I have 
not seen your family since you were here. Steve is 
almost done planting corn ; but the weather is so cold, 
he gets along slow with his work. " Aunt Tamson" 
is very low ; — not expected to live from day to day. 
Tell Alice, we can't — any one of us — come to the open- 
ing of the Exhibition ; but she can come home any 
day she gets ready. 

We are getting along very peacably and nice with 
our two ^imilies together Our new preacher was 
with us yesterday and kindly received.. You will 
wonder why I have not written better ; but I am in a 
hurry for " Grandmother" and " Aunt Prude" are both 
sick, and I am going there as soon as 1 can ; " Aunt 
Tamson's" family are all with her; you see we have 
trouble all around us; it was the news of "Ike's" 
death that threw her back. Father is working right 
on for four weeks, which is wonderful. 

With much love, from your 

Mother. 

So far as I know this is the last letter she ever 
wrote. On the 11th of May, Mrs. Felts went home 
and took charge of her work, while she gave her time 
fully to the care of the sick. Every day and every 
night she would visit one or the other, often going 



38 MEMOIRS OF 

from one directly to the other, taking but very little 
rest. One day she remarked to Mrs. Felts: "Alice, 
this is the only time since your marriage that I have 
ever wanted you back ; when I gave you up, I did so 
freely and have never regretted it, and this is the first 
time I have ever really needed you since, and now 
the Lord has arranged it for you to be here." 

On the 16th of May, "Aunt Tamson" (Mrs. Tarn- 
son CuiF, her oldest sister) passed away from earth. 
At the time of her death mother was absent ; coming 
to look upon her lifeless form, she talked pleasantly 
with those around of the reality and glory of heaven, 
and came home singing : 

" I know not the hour when my Lord shall come, 

To take me away to His own dear home, 
But I know that His presence will lighten my gloom ; 

And that will be glory for me." 

Taking off her bonnet, she said: "Alice, attend to the 
work, I must indulge myself a little now"; and lying 
down on the sofa, she wept freely for some time. 
She lay there till evening and then rousing herself, 
passed the evening in conversation with the daughters 
of the deceased. On the next day. May 17th, she 
worked very hard intending to spend all the next day 
with her mother. About 5 o'clock that afternoon 
word was brought that her mother was dead. Throw- 
ing up both hands, she uttered a wail of horror, such 
as none had ever heard from her before, saying quick- 



MRS. REBECCA STEWARD. 39 

\j : " Oh ! My mother gone ; and I so selfish as to be 
about my work and not with her!" AVe replied: 
" But mother you were preparing to spend to-morrow 
with her." She added immediately: " I could have 
gone to day. It was my selfishness. Mother said 
she would die on the 18th and I intended to be with 
her on that day ; but I ought not to have left her, I 
ought not to have left her" she repeated. 

As quickly as possible she was at her mother's bed- 
side and to her inexpressible joy found her still alive. 
She had sunk so low that life was thought extinct, 
but the Lord had revived her again and she still lived, 
and recognized her daughter. She lived through the 
night and waited until the sun had sent his first beams 
to bless the earth on the 18th, when her happy spirit 
fled to its eternal home. She had known it would 
appear for some days, the day and very hour when she 
should go away. It was the same day of the month 
and the same hour at which her husband died. Side 
by side their ashes sleep in the old family graveyard 
at Gouldtown, awaiting the clarion call of the resur- 
rection trump. 

My mother turned not away from the corpse of her 
mother until she had seen it all prepared for the grave. 
It was a w^ork, she said, she could leave no stranger 
to do, and made the same request for herself. " JSTever 
allow my body to pass into the hands of strangers," 
was her request. 



40 • MEMOIRS OF 

On Saturday, the 19th of May, 1877, her sister, 
Mrs. Cuff, was buried, and Monday following, (May 
21st,) her mother's corpse was laid in the grave. 
After the funeral of the mother, at her suggestion, all 
the remaining members of the family went back to 
the old homestead and ate dinner together, she saying 
it would perhaps be their last time. From these sad 
days she went direct into hard work, and when gently 
remonstrated with and fears were expressed that she 
would get sick, she replied : '' Oh ! I will get over it, 
I guess ; and if I do not, it is in the end life ever- 
lasting." 

On the 28th of the month she was taken seriously 
ill and medical aid was summoned. From the first 
she expressed but little hope, saying : "• I never was 
sick this way before." She talked freely with her 
children and would not be satisfied until she had made 
them say that they had forgiven her for persisting to 
work against their wish. 

During the last Sabbath she spent on earth, she fell 
into a gentle doze when suddenly waking, she said : 
*' What do you think I saw ?" and then musingly she 
added: " It might have been a dream ; I think it was, 
but I saw the Lord holding Theoph and Cethe, in his 
arms, and I know He is going to keep them safe." 

That night being taken worse, the family watched 
with her and she remarked : " Ah, children, I shall 
not be here in the morning." Morning came, how- 



MRS. REBECCA STEWARD. 41 

ever, and she was still spared. In conversation that 
day she said : '* I thought I was dying, but I felt com- 
fortable in mind and had no fear." As her daughter, 
Mrs. Felts, was obliged to leave, she urged her to watch 
with great care over her little girl, saying: "As you 
mould her so will she grow. I never could think my 
children were only for my pleasure, I did not dare 
make playthings of them, I thought the training of 
my children was part of the work God gave me to 

do." 

" I may get well," said she, "but anyhow my life 
is hid with Christ in God and to be where there is no 
more pain, where all tears are wiped away, — Ah, you 
need not wonder that I do not care to stay here. I 
have been sick so much — and in that land no one says 
^I am sick,' I have thought with "Aunt Tamson" 
and " Grandmother" that it was hard to open the 
gates, but then there's glory on the other side." 

The next day (Monday) she appeared better, but 
during the night was again worse. On Thursday, 
Father becoming alarmed, despatched for the absent 
ones; she knew this and objected, saying it would 
produce needless alarm. That night she had sinking 
spells. Recovering from one of them, she exclaimed : 
" Oh, can't you catch the glory of heaven all around 
me!" Father burst into tears and she immediately 
added: "Oh, I did not mean to distress you!" 
Although we knew she was dying, we said but little. 



42 MEMOIRS OF 

Who could talk? Her last audible words were : 
" Though I walk through the valley and shadow of 
death, I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me," and 
taking the hand of her sister, added : ''I am deep 
down in the valley now" — " deep down in the valley, 
but glory to God," she could say " Thou art with me !" 
Just three weeks after her mother's death, viz : Fri- 
day, June 8th, 1877, she passed away and there are 
now three fresh graves in that old burial ground. 

THE FUNERAL. 

On Monday, June 11th, 1877, a large concourse of 
people met in Trinity A. M. E. Church, Gouldtown, 
to pay their last acknowledgements to this modest and 
excellent woman. The corpse was neatly dressed and 
in the coffin lay quite a profusion of freshly blown 
roses. The services at the church were conducted by 
Rev. Redman Faucett and Dr. B. T. Tanner ; those at 
the grave by Revs. E. J. Hammet, G. W. Boyer and 
Dr. H. M. Turner. All spoke eloquently of the 
virtues of the deceased. After the coffin was lower- 
ed down in the grave and solemnly committed to dust, 
a large basket of white roses were distributed among 
the weeping relatives and friends, and each threw a 
handful of sweet flowers on the dust of her whom all 
had learned to love. 

And thus ends the earthly life of a noble woman. 
Ends did I say ? May I not rather say, begins ! That 



MRS. REBECCA STEWARD. 43 

life so illustrative of golden virtues and heroic princi- 
ples, it is to be hoped will go down through the present 
and succeeding generations, lived over by those whom 
she loved, and she being dead, may yet speak words 
of comfort and love to many struggling ones among 
God's children. 



44 MEMOIRS OF 



CHAPTER Y. 

RETROSPECTION. 

Shall we not now pause a moment by the side of 

this fresh grave, and look back over the pathway trod 

by the modest woman, whose form lies sleeping here, 

embalmed in flowers, and call to mind anew the 

"virtues she possessed. 

We have seen her in the midst of a large family, 
performing the duties of wife and mother. Shall we 
not for a moment regard her in that larger sphere of 
Christian labor, which she filled in the church and in 
her community. 

In 1846 she became an earnest and zealous follower 
of the Lord, and united with the African Methodist 
Episcopal Church in Gouldtown, of which the Rev. 
(now Bishop) A. W. Wayman was then pastor. She 
was converted during a period of affliction, and I think 
the lines written in that year and bearing the inscrip- 
tion "written after a time of affliction," page 129, 
are intended to commemorate that event. The second 
and third verses seem to describe the state of a soul 
passing from death to life, through faith in the 
gospel. She joined the church in October of that 
year, and seems to have commenced her labors at once. 



MRS. REBECCA STEWARD. 45 

In the Sunday-school she became a teacher and was 
successful in that capacity in bringing many souls to 
Christ. It was her object to secure the conversion 
of every scholar committed to her care, and she seldom 
failed. She also became teacher of an adult Bible 
class, which met weekly at her house or the house of 
one of the neighbors ; she managed for some time a 
weekly prayer meeting, composed of the female mem- 
bers of the church, and subsequently became an active 
member of the church aid society. Yet, with all this 
activity, there was no ostentation, no public show, no 
noisy parade, no extravagant shouting. She was an 
uncompromising opponent to woman's preaching, and 
to all of those mutual aid societies bearing high sound- 
ing title?. I think nothing could have induced her 
to countenance in any way the numerous ^'orders" 
which prevail so largely among our people, and she 
wore no badge, or jewelry. No rings were on her 
finfi^ers or in her ears, and yet she affected no plain- 
ness of dress. She repudiated extravagance of all sorts, 
and sought to avoid everything which might render 
her noticeable. After five years of Christian life and 
labor she came forward as a candidate for baptism ; 
for on this subject she entertained peculiar scruples. 
She was baptised m 1851, and surely none could have 
been more worthy. This rite was performed by Rev. 
Shepherd Holcombe in the church of which she had 
been a member five years. 



46 MEMOIRS OF 

She seems to have consecrated herself most fully to 
the Lord, and although she repudiated the theory of 
the "second blessing," yet she doubtless enjoyed all 
that the strongest advocates of that theory claim. She 
says in a letter dated February 13th, 1876, (see page 
33), that she had laid all upon the altar, even her chil- 
dren, and she did not dare take them ofif ! She counted 
herself as nothing, not even "worth a sacrifice," and 
"Was certainly all the Lord's. What does she mean by 
this ? Seven days before in a scrap book containing 
numerous clippings she had written the following: 
"On this 6th day of February, 1876, I consecrate 
myself and all I have anew to the Lord. Many years 
I have been His; but I renew my covenant. All I 
have, — all my affections, all my wealth (what I have), 
all my labors, as far as I can understand, are His, to 
be used for His glory. 

Mark, she says: " I consecrate myself, aneivy She 
had been the Lord's before, for many years, and she 
now makes no new covenant, but she renews the old 
covenant. This was in strict accord with all her pre- 
vious life, and although she advanced far towards the 
heights of holiness, she always turned away from the 
theory of special sanctification, regarding it as an 
error in doctrine and an unreality in experience ; and 
yet none could have gone farther in consecration 
than herself. Every word of this declaration is solemn 
and sincere, and this consecration is without re- 



MRS. REBECCA STEWARD. 47 

serve. Here then is what she means by having laid 
her children on the altar and not daringto take them 
off. 

During her remaining days my oldest sister writes: 
*'She seemed more devoted, more perfected to our 
Heavenly Father's will than ever." Notwithstand- 
ing her feebleness she regularly attended the church on 
Sabbath mornings, and met the Sunday-school teach- 
ers once a week, going over the lessons and giving 
much valuable instruction. After the dismission of 
the morning service on Sabbath, she regularly met her 
class, and my sister, whose seat was near her's, writes: 
"Every Sunday she would say, 'I am trying to live a 
Christian; I wish to die a Christian and see what 
the end of a Christian life will be.' On the last 
Sunday she met the class, which was just one week 
and four days before she died — she seemed if possi- 
ble, more devoted than usual and her words impressed 
me much. I did not think then that I should never 
hear her speak in class again." 

My mother had read the Scriptures with great care 
and was not fully persuaded that infant baptism was 
therein taught, and although a Methodist, she hesitated 
to give her children to God and the church in this 
ordinance. Of her six children not one was baptised 
in infancy, nor did she teach them to "say prayers." 
It required great faith to depart from so general a 
custom, but being taught of God, she dared to do it. 



48 MEMOIRS OF 

The reader will observe in my brother's poem, which 
iictually reproduces the scenes of our childhood, that 
there is no picture of a child with clasped hands kneel- 
ing down and lisping his evening prayer by his 
mother's knee. No such picture was common there. 
Early in the days of her life as a mother she aban- 
doned the custom. Prayerless the six children went 
to bed, and prayerless they went to their daily tasks, 
and this not through negligence but through principle. 
She thought "saying prayers" a grave species of 
trifling ; and, as father worked sometimes nights and 
sometimes days, regularity in family prayer, if de- 
sired, could not be had. I am not certain that it tvas 
desired. Religion, not even in its forms, was forced 
upon the children but on the contrary it was rendered 
so attractive, that the children of that household 
would crowd around that mother in the evening and 
tease her to tell them a story. The story would 
always be told just before bed-time and would be likely 
to end with a solemn appeal to our consciences, the 
reading of a chapter from the old family Bible, a 
prayer and then all the children were hurried to bed. 
This was not a nightly occurrence, but seemed wholly 
dependent upon our asking. The stories were always 
from the Bible and to our little minds were wonder- 
fully well told; often filling us with such hatred toward 
bad men, that on seeing their pictures we would wish 



MRS. REBECCA STEWARD. 49 

to destroy them, and making us cry over those that 
had suifered. 

Such was the character of the religious training she 
gave her household. I wish it were possible to 
obtain one of those stories just as she told it. The 
nearest approach to anyone of them is the little story 
about "Self" told with her pen many years later, 
when writing was to her a great difficulty, to two of her 
grandchildren. While it may be interesting, I am 
sure it bears but a faint comparison to those that 
her own children heard in their childhood from her 
own lips. 

I had thought to pass over this part of my mother's 
work for fear it might not be understood; or that 
others attemptmg to imitate her herein might suffer 
great loss in their families. Where the religious care 
of the children is left to the mother, and she Is not 
specially gifted, it is perhaps better to teach by rote 
and by form ; but where conditions are otherwise, 
it is better to teach the children directly the doctrines 
of religion and let them make their own forms. 

Religion and reverence for God and sacred things, 
then becomes a part of their nature and is more likely 
to be sincere. 

Looking upon this life, shall we ask what there is 
in it which has won so much Christian admiration and 
entitles it to so much praise. I answer, it is found in 
her sincerity, purity and unconquerable faith. She 



50 MEMOIRS OF 

believed God and believed every word of God. It is 
found in her abundant Scriptural knoweldge quali- 
fying her to believe intelligently ; in her knoweldge 
of persons acquired by habits of close observation; 
her knoweldge of history and the natural sciences, and 
her general acquaintance with literature. These ac- 
complishments united to the most modest demeanor, 
rendered her a woman of note and a Christian for 
whom any community, church or age might have been 
grateful. It is not mine to estimate her worth or paint 
her character. The homage which I bear her makes 
all praise seem tame. No words of mine can portray 
the excellencies which I attribute her. I leave there- 
fore, the work of determining her great moral and 
Christian worth to more competent and less partial 
judges. To be permitted to wreathe any name with 
such garlands as are brought by the learned, the elo- 
quent and the honored whose names adorn this book, 
is sufficient privilege to me. Her earthly fame I en- 
trust to their keeping and through them to posterity. 
She enjoyed the testimony while on earth that her 
works pleased God and to Him who was her solace and 
stay in life, and her rod and staiF in death ; who gave 
her those shining qualities of head and heart, and pre- 
served her to a life of usefullness, I commend not in 
hopeless sorrow but in hope of a glorious reunion her 
immortal and unburdened soul. 

My task is done. I lay the tribute humble as it is, 



3IRS. REBECCA STEWARD. 



51 



and as I feel it is, upon the fresh grave of my departed 
mother. May her example, her words, her suffering, 
her triumph, serve as happy angels, calling us to a 
higher and holier life, and to that reward which 
awaits on the other side the gates. Hear her words 
when entering death's vale: "The gates are hard to 
open, but there's glor^ on the other side! Glory on 
the other side! And hard as it may have seemed 
to open the gates when at some distance, I doubt not 
as she drew near them that they, opened of their own 
accord ! 




52 MEMOIRS OF 



REMINISCENCE 



OF THE 



LIFE AND DEATH 



OF 




Its. JeW«(t SietiJaiti 



BY 



BISHOP JABEZ P. CAMPBELL, D. D. 



Mrs. Rebecca Steward, wife of James Steward, 
was the daughter of Benjamin and Phoebe Gould, of 
Bridgeton, Cumberland County, N. J. She was 
born May 2d, 1820. Her father, Benjamin Gould, 
was the son of Abijah Gould, whose father's name 
was Benjamin, who was either the son or grandson of 
Elizabeth, a granddaughter of Sir John Fenwick 
one of the proprietors of New Jersey in its early 
colonial times. 

Rebecca, the subject of this sketch, was married to 
James Steward in 1838, by the Rev. Vansant, of the 
M. E. Church. 



MRS, BEBECCA STEWARD. . 53 

The fruit of this marriage were six children ; a boy 
and a girl alternately, all of whom are now living. 

The early educational advantages of Mrs. Steward 
were those afforded by the township school. Here 
she became a good English scholar, and supplemented 
the instruction, thus received, by extensive reading ; 
so that she became proficient, both as a writer and a 
conversationalist. 

She was converted and joined the A. M. E. Church, 
at Gouldtown, in 1846. 

In 1869 commenced her physical suffering, which, 
at times was so acute, as to carry her to the very 
portal of the grave. What she said upon religious 
subjects was of the most earnest character. When 
her children were even very young, it was her usual 
custom to read to them from the Bible such portions 
as would impress upon their minds the divine lessons 
of this Holy Book ; and instil into their plastic hearts, 
''line upon line, and precept upon precept;" and, 
after thus reading and explaining, she would kneel 
with them and plead with God to guide them by His 
heavenly Light ! 

One evening, in the midst of these devout exer- 
cises, and while asking God for His guidance, her 
husband entered the room, and then and there, for 
the first time, bowed in prayer with his family. 

But a short time after this occurrence, her husband 
and Mr. Abel Lee, the father of President Lee, of * 



54 MEMOIRS OF 

"Wilberforce University, were both converted and 
united with the Church. 

Lamartine relates in his opening chapter of his 
"Voyage to the Holy Land," that the desire, to make 
the journey, was awakened in his mind by his mother's 
Bible lessons. He stated that his reward for a good 
lesson, was to be permitted to see the pictures of an 
illustrated Bible, and hear from his good mother's 
lips the history and explanations of these pictures. 
Is it necessary to be said, that we can see the effect 
of Rebecca Steward's Bible lessons upon the minds or 
her children, in giving them an impulse to seek for 
things divine? 

From 1869 to 1872, twoof her sons were in the South, 
one in Georgia and the other in Florida, viz.: William 
and Theophilus (Rev. T. G. Steward). They visited 
the paternal roof once a year. When their visit had 
terminated, and they were about to depart, she would 
bid them adieu with cheerful words, and an invocation 
to heaven to bless them ; she would urge them back 
to their posts of duty, beseeching them to be pious 
men, and in all things labor for the honor and glory 
of God, and be not dismayed if a messenger should 
come to them, saying: ^'Mother is done suffering,^* 
She would say: "The Good Man" would keep her 
safely and take her home in His own good time. 

The premonition of a sudden death was constantly 
before her; but this was no evidence that it created 



MES. REBECCA STEWARD. 55 

fear ; for she was on a Rock. A few evenings pre- 
vious to her death, she said, with a tender smile : 
" Children, you will look for me in the morning, but 
mother will not be here." She was fully prepared to 
meet Death, but he came not then. A few days after 
this she was seized with such violent spasms as to de- 
stroy consciousness ; but, when the spasms had passed, 
and her consciousness had returned, and observing 
that her husband and the children, who were at her 
bedside, were sore distressed, and that her husband 
had telegraphed to New York for Theophilus, and to 
Philadelphia for William, the latter a clerk in the 
A. M. E. Book Room, and the former had just closed 
his Pastorate of the Bridge St. A. M. E. Church, 
Brooklyn, N. Y., she chided her husband, by saying, 
that it was not worth while to worry and distress 
them. Then, after telling her husband to meet her 
in heaven, she expired in the arms of her oldest 
daughter. 

Taine, whose illustrations of individual or natural 
characteristics have been unequalled, has said, with 
much force, that behind the fossil there was an ani- 
mal, and that behind the old, faded manuscript there 
was a man ; and we know the man and his peculiari- 
ties from the manuscript. For such axiomatic ex- 
pressions as these, Taine has been applauded by the 
most learned of every land. Yet, to a Bible reader, 



56 MEMOIRS OF 

axioms as forcible as Taine's, stand conspicuous 
throughout the sacred pages. 

A man is known by his works. " Do we gather figs 
from thistles ? " " Can an impure fountain send forth 
sweet water?" are Bible axioms. 

We have been led to the above digression from the 
facts related to us ; because, behind these facts, we 
shall show there existed no ordinary woman. Though 
descended from what might be claimed as the aristoc- 
racy of one of the original thirteen States, a State as 
proud of its ancestry as the most pretentious, she as- 
sumed no aristocratic prerogatives ; but, among the hum- 
blest, still showed herself to be a Christian woman, in 
the full significance of these words ; and, if she claimed 
homage, it was conceded to her spontaneously by the 
right of her mental adornments and the graces of an 
unsullied Christian life. Here mankind are beginning, 
though late, to concede all the distinctive traits of 
preeminence. 

Rebecca Steward was a woman of extraordinary 
ability, and possessed some of the most excellent 
qualities of both heart and mind. Eulogy will not 
appear to be exaggeration, when pronounced in the 
presence of those who knew her ; and they will unani- 
mously declare, that she feared God and loved her 
race. None were her superiors, and few were her 
equals. She was not influenced by the arbitrary 
rules conceived in prejudice of caste or race; her 



MRS. REBECCA STEWARD. 57 

sympathies were as wide as humanity, and as uncon- 
taminated as a child's ; her sympathies were guided by 
her judgements, and her judgements were made clear 
by the teachings of the hand of God, and not warped 
by the infections of exclusiveness. Gifted with a 
mind of ceaseless activity, comprehensive observation, 
and the most placid reflection, she yet possessed a 
head whose capacious breadth could feel the pulsations 
of an humble heart. In whatever class, or position, or 
society she was cast, she was equally at home ; with the 
refined and intellectual, she ranked their peer ; to the 
ignorant, poor, and lowly, she was a helping hand, and 
a guiding voice to a higher life. Her conversations 
were distinguished by freedom of language and the 
appropriate words in which she clothed her thoughts. 
She shunned the stilted words of the pedant as she 
conversed to communicate thoughts and principles. 
She did not read to treasure ideas and sentiments for 
her own selfish, personal or mental amusements, but 
she read and thought, that she might communicate to 
others that which she read ; and thus, here and there, 
plant a seed, whose unending product could be esti- 
mated alone before the throne of God. She was gen- 
erous with her thoughts as with her means ; and they 
who needed either, received freely and liberally, as 
she herself had received most liberally from the boun- 
teous Giver. 

Charlotte Brunte is often cited as an example of 



58 MEMOIRS OF 

how much can be accomplished by the mind, even 
when the body is afflicted. 

Rebecca Steward inherited a delicate constitution ; 
but, notwithstanding, the superiority of her intellect 
so husbanded the physical strength, as to enable her 
in her mental achievements to compensate for a weak 
body. Her mind seized upon thoughts with marvel- 
ous facility ; and religious thoughts were the permeat- 
ing influence that flowed continually through her life. 
Her influence has been left upon all who came in con- 
tact with her ; and her influences were constantly on 
the side of her divine Master, from whose inspired 
Book she drew the web and woof of her most remark- 
able and impressive conversations ; and she seemed to 
have relied implicitly upon the words: ''Open thy 
mouth and I will fill it.'' Unassuming in all she 
did ; free to give expression to her thoughts ; stead- 
fast in faith ; with such an abundance of those quali- 
ties that adorn humanity, that we cannot enumerate 
them; she was one of those of whom the world is not 
worthy ; and therefore, God took her from the evil 
to come. 

Dear reader, in the life and character of this be- 
loved Christian woman, we have a most happy illus- 
tration of Christian faith and practice. 

In it all the Christian graces are seen to shine most 
conspicuously. I repeat, in her life the Christian 
graces of faith, hope and charity, or the love of God 



MRS. REBECCA STEWARD. 59 

and humanity, had a most happy illustration. 

Go thou and do likewise, and God shall reward thee 
as He rewarded her. 

May the grace of God enable thee so to do, is the 
prayer of thy friend and brother, 

JABEZ P. CAMPBELL. 
Philadelphia, Pa., 

August 20th, 1877. 



60 . MEMOIRS OF 



MY RECOLLECTIONS 



OF 



J,ebccct |iet0njfli 



BY 



PROFESSOR B. F. LEE, 

President of Wilberforce University. 



Among the persons earliest and dearest in my 
recollections is she, whose name stands at the head of 
this article. 

In my childhood, I associated her with my highest 
ideas of perfection ; in my youth, I looked upon her 
as one especially interested in my well-being and well- 
doing ; in my manhood I knew her to be a devoted 
Christian, who was always anxious for all men to know 
Christ and to keep His commandments, and I never 
thought otherwise than that she was praying for my 
success. This has often stimulftted me to persever- 
ence and hope in good works, while it has kept me 
from many snares. 



MRS. REBECCA STEWARD. 61 

My aunt had an aptness in dealing with and manag- 
ing children, which made them feel easy in her 
presence; rendered her instructions impressive, her 
society agreeable, her manners attractive, and her 
authority respectable to them. 

She possessed a form, general appearance and fea- 
tures, which would have given grace and honor to 
any position ever filled by woman ; while she possessed 
a native intellect, which had reached that state of cul- 
ture in which human life appears to best advantage, 
and which, had she sought it, would have admitted her 
to the higher circles of life. 

Her ideas of life and things were clear, reasonable 
and definite ; while her appreciation of the worth and 
object of life was highly philosophic and Christian. 
She always breathed the purest atmosphere her circum- 
stances and state admitted. It seemed to me that no 
one could soar higher upon the strength of similar 
conditions than she. It is one of the finest points in 
the philosophy of life, to know where to place the 
lever in order to gain the greatest advantage of the 
weight, this she seemed to me to nearly always know, 
and, consequently to carry the burdens of life with 
comparative ease. 

When I was left at ten years of age an orphan, she 
gave me many items of advice and encouragement, 
which were as precious ointment to my soul ; when I 
lay on what I supposed was a death bed, she knew how 



62 MEMOIRS OF 

to talk with me and how to pray for me, so as to im- 
press me with her sympathy for me and true faith in 
God. I can never forget those days of my fearful 
looking for the messenger, death, when I was without 
hope and God in the world. My dear aunt would 
say to me, when the physician thought I would hardly 
recover: "Frank, I think you will get well. I be- 
lieve God has a great work for you. I can see it. 
He will raise you up if you will only trust Him." 
Then she would bring duty right to my heart, urge 
me to trust, faith, and repentance towards God. How 
well I remember her asking, with the tears streaming 
down her cheeks : " Now, Frank, can't you see Jesus 
in this ? " the blessed word which she had been read- 
ing. " Can't you look right to him and live ? " Then, 
after it pleased God to allow me to get well, she never 
forgot me, but always urged me to give myself up to 
Christ, pointing out to me the narrow escape which I 
had made, praying and agonizing with me ; so that 
to-day, whatever I am for humanity and God, I owe 
largely to that sainted woman, as God's instrument. 

At the head of the domestic circle, with my uncle, 
she appeared to have a clear and high notion of home 
economy. Her house was a house of order, pleasure, 
books, the Bible, religion, and prayer. Every mem- 
ber of her family was taught that noble and divine 
idea of liberty in love. The erring were made to feel 
the weight of guilt keenly, and the force of love 



MES. REBECCA STEWARD. 63 

deeply. The well disposed were not flattered to ruin, 
but urged to grace. She reared her children for 
heaven and God. If any of them should fail to en- 
joy the end of her life in their behalf, she will still 
have her reward. 

In a letter to me, immediately subsequent to the 
marriage of her youngest child, she said : " I have 
raised a family of six children. 1 had long set up 
in my house an altar to God to which we all came, 
but now, thank God, we have seven altars set up to 
Him." How great must have been the satisfaction of 
seeing every one of her children not only settled in 
life, but given to God. ^' Train up a child in the 
way he should go, and when he is old he will not de- 
part from it," is well verified in this case. 

There was an air of grace and light in her house, 
which no one could fail to observe, after a very short 
residence in her family. Discussion of general topics 
was free and intelligent. Happy expressions showed 
that their source was happy hearts. 

The books on her shelves, though not so numerous 
as in many houses, yet were of the best and from the 
finest authors. I infer, though I never heard her say 
so, that Burns was one of her favorites among the 

poets. 

In social life my aunt had few superiors. She 
took a broad view of the state and wants of her com- 
munity, and was, therefore, one of its leading and 



64 • MEMOIRS OF 

most useful members. Her opinions, with regard to 
matters of general interest, were higlily respected, 
and her advice often sought. 

While she was earnestly and plainly Christian in 
all her thoughts and actions, yet she was not of a sad 
temperament. This made her able to direct the 
thoughts of others in the proper way. 

In the church she was for the last twenty-five years 
of her life an abiding and faithful Christian. I have 
never met with any one who had clearer views of the 
life and work of faith. Some of the most comfort- 
able, consoling, and impressive conversations I have 
ever had with Christians, ministers not excepted, 
have been with her. Her experience was rich, be- 
cause she had cherished it as from God. The latter 
part of her life was attended with great suffering, yet 
she would not complain, but was made perfect through 
suffering and allowing patience to have its perfect 
work. She had learned how to endure hardness as a 
good soldier of Jesus Christ. 

I have made it a rule for ten or twelve years to 
write to my aunt as soon as I returned home from 
watch-meetings. In this correspondence she has 
given me much advice and encouragement in the 
walks of Christianity; telling me of her own ex- 
perience in suffering and trusting, in the true spirit 
of Christian heroism, always expressing herself as 
only awaiting the Lord's call. These letters have 



MRS. REBECCA STEWARD. 65 

been to me as angel's whispers, as heavenly messen- 
gers, telling me how to live, how to wait and trust, 
and I might add, showing me how to die unto the 
world daily. 

With reference to the doctrine of holiness of heart, 
in my opinion, she was perfectly clear, practical, and 
scriptural. By practical, I mean in experience and 
in practice. Her utter rejection of human perfection, ' 
but full faith in Christian perfection, I think in per- 
fect keeping with the teachings of the holy Scriptures. 
She knew the truth, and the truth made her free. • 

I have never heard one word of her latest testi- 
mony to the saving poAver of the blood of Jesus, but, 
without hearing this, I venture the assertion that she 
died rich in faith and abundantly sustained by grace. 
how sweetly, years before she died, have I heard 
her repeat the consoling words : " I know that my 
Redeemer liveth ! " (0, these blessed words! more 
than all the words addressed to the human hearts by 
all religions outside of ours), and "I am striving to 
make my calling and elections sure," " I am pressing 
towards the mark," etc. These added to what I 
know of her life, are enough to assure me of her safe 
passage over the dark stream. 

In the loss of her, Gouldtown has lost one of its 
stays and guides ; the world, an eminent woman, one 
of its greatest, because one of its best, and the church 
one of its most valiant soldiers. 



66 MEMOIRS OF 

As for myself, I feel to weep with her children in 
the loss of a spiritual mother, as well as a beloved 
and highly respected aunt. Let her memory be dear 
to us, and her exemplary life be to us one of those 
lights which illuminate the path of the just, ''shining 
more and more, until the perfect day." 

With my grandmother, my aunt Tamson, my own 
dear father, and the millions of sainted dead, let her 
body rest and her soul enjoy the eternal bliss of the 
'promises and the God of the promises. 



MRS. REBECCA STEWARD. 67 



fn. Jekec^ |ie»){tf|i 



BY 



BENJ. T. TANNER, D.D- 



Exactly when or where the writer first made the 
acquaintance of the subject of this memoir, is forgot- 
ten ; but he deems himself exceedingly fortunate in 
the fact itself To know Rebecca Steward noiv, may 
not seem much; but in after vears, when the real 
greatness of her character will have become known, 
as we doubt not it will, to have known her, will be 
accounted a most happy incident in one's life. 

It is so easy to talk of personal greatness, when 
the fact is, the truly great are as rare as purest 
diamond. Not one in a thousand approach it ; not 
one-in ten thousand attain to it, or, more properly 
speaking, possess it — for it is a thing of possession, 
rather than of acquirement. Be it born in you, you 
have it. If not, not. For while there may be a tide 
in the affairs of men, which lead on to "fortune," 
there is no such tide to a greatness that is real. 



68 MEMOIRS OF 

Of the few really great souls whom it has been our 
privilege to know, Mrs. Rebecca Steward was the 
peer of any. In a very broad sense she was a great 
woman. As a daughter she was great in dutiful affec- 
tion ; as a sister, in the very broadest sympathy ; as 
a wife, in her incomparable fidelity ; and as a mother, 
in a patience that knew no bounds. 

It need not, however, be expected, that any 
stranger could sound the depth of her nature, in the 
above mentioned spheres. The qualities we have pre- 
sumed to mention, were those that floated upon the 
surface of her life, and, like sweetest water lily, must 
need attract the attention of the passer by. 

It is as a friend and as a member of the African 
Methodist Episcopal Church, that the writer himself 
knew her, and in both which spheres she was emi- 
nently great. So vivid, indeed, are the remembrances 
of the friendship that existed between her and ours, 
in view of her sudden demise, we find most pertinent 
the words of Montgomery : 

" Friend after friend departs, 
Who hath not lost a friend ? 
There is no union here of hearts 
That finds not here an end ; 
Were the frail world our only rest, 
Living or dying, none were blest." 

When the sad announcement of her death was 
made at our own dear fireside, " Dead ! Dead, Papa ! " 



MRS. REBECCA STEWARD. 69 

-were the only words that first passed from lip to lip, 
while a silence ensued that was painful. 

But the real greatness of soul we purpose noticing, 
was that that evidenced itself in regard to the Church 
of her choice. A more zealous African Methodist 
never lived. She had convictions in regard to the 
work and the economy of the Church organized by 
Allen, and these shaped her every course in life. 
Nothincr could turn her against the organization itself. > 
Her love towards it was proof against episcopal mis- 
judgment or pastoral insufficiency. She looked from 
men to principles. Though exceedingly intelligent, 
she shrank not back from identifying herself with a 
class, known to be generally ignorant. Well to do 
in the affairs of this world, she was content to remain 
as the equal of the poor. And lastly, it might be in 
place to mention a peculiarity of the locality in which 
this very attachment to a despised Church was evi- 
denced. The reader of this volumn will already have 
learned that Gouldtown, N. J., is a peculiar place. 
Of descent in blood by no means low, and of the 
strongest Presbyterian proclivities, the Goulds have 
ever been thought exceedingly conservative — utterly 
free from that fire which many suppose to be the sub- 
stance of Methodism. Upon the correctness of this 
thought it is no intention of ours to pronounce. Suf- 
ficient is it to say, that the general bearing of the 
community, secular and spiritual, is in keeping with 



70 MEMOIRS OF 

their recognized descent and religious bias. Such 
being the case, the wonder is that they should have 
maintained their identity with the African Methodist 
Episcopal Church. Nor is it certain that they would, 
had it not been for the uncompromising zeal of the 
subject of this volume, who ever stood like a very 
breakwater in its defence. 

When we call to mind the scores of our people who 
have left us, on account of our ignorance, our pov- 
erty, and our color, the fidelity of Rebecca Steward 
is but an indication of that greatness of soul with 
which we credit her, and which is yet to be the ad- 
miration of generations unborn. 

From our heart we say : 

" Requiescat in pace." 



MBS. REBECCA STEWABD. 71 




^s* ^eleee^ 




BY 



REV. T. GOULD. 



What I have to say is after thirty years' observation, 
to say nothing of my early boyhood days, when I 
used to visit her house with my father, who esteemed 
her as his own daughter and her husband as his own 
son. To me they both seemed as elder brother and 
sister. 

It appears to me that I can remember when I knew 
but little difference between her husband and my own 
brothers. He being the oldest and the first married out 
of the household, to me it was my oldest brother getting 
married, and I was wonderfully well pleased with his 
wife. 

When father would say " Theodore, I guess we will 
go and see James and Beckie to-day," it was a grand 
treat for me, for I knew, boy like, I was going to get 
something good to eat. Father having lost his eye- 
sight, of course some one must lead him, and this was my 



72 MEMOIRS OF 

lot, and I have many a time heard her read the news 
and books of interest to him. To visit them was 
pleasant to him to the day of his death. Although 
he lived to have eight children married, (four boys and 
four girls), I do not think he had a son-in-law or a 
daughter-in-law whom he esteemed higher than he did 
the boy who spent fifteen or sixteen years under his 
roof and the lady of his choice. In 1846 I united 
with the church of which she was a member, and from 
that time to the day of her death, I looked up to her 
for that advice and counsel which had much to do with 
shaping my early life. And if I have been worth any- 
thing to the church as a minister, her prayers, in- 
structions and counsel have helped to mould me into 
what I am. 

I shall ever thank God for permitting me to have 
the association of this Christian woman, whose very 
breath seemed to be perfumed with the odor of heaven, 
for her daily food was God's word. 

She was a Bible student; and in the Bible history 
was so well informed and upon all the cardinal points of 
Bible doctrine, and the current or popular questions 
of the day, that a very eminent and learned bishop 
said to me several years ago after paying her a short 
visit, " No one can possibly spend five minutes in con- 
versation with Sister Steward without being edified." 
Another intelligent minister said to me, "Sister 



IfRS. REBECCA STEWARD. 73 

Steward is one of the best read women I ever had the 
favor of conversing with." 

To the church she was a pillar. She was among 
the few that were found at the prayer meeting and 
Sabbath-school, and was always aiming to do some- 
thing for the Master's cause. As a wife and mother, 
I can only say few husbands are favored as was her's. 
No woman could possibly be more interested in the 
welfare of her husband's business than she was. She 
was a helpmeet in every sense of the word to her hus- 
band. To my mind but few children among us have 
been favored as were her's. 

I doubt not but there are many lessons now fresh 
in their minds which she taught them, which, if treas- 
ured up, will add to their present, future, and eternal 
happiness. Oh, that we had more mothers like her ! 
whose devotion to their children would extort from 
their lips the words of Sister Steward. In conversing 
with her one day, some years since, when the children 
were getting pretty well grown, she exclaimed, " Oh, 
the souls of my children ! Oh, what would I do if 
one of them should be lost ! They are all good chil- 
dren, but the Saviour says, ' ye must be born again,' 
that is what I want ; to see them converted is my con- 
stant prayer to God. Oh, it is the burden of my 
heart.' And more than once have we knelt in prayer 
together that she might enjoy the pleasure of seeing 
4 



74 MEMOIRS OF 

all of her children converted. Years passed, and one 
by one they came in. 

I had not seen her for some time, but after the usual 
salutations among the first things said was: "Thank 
God ! He has let me live to see all my children con- 
verted and in the church ! My prayers are answered. 
Thank God ! The whole family is in the ark ; what a 
happy woman I am !" It was my privilege to visit her 
during several severe spells of sickness. I have the first 
time yet to hear her murmur or complain ; but I have 
often heard her say : " These light afflictions which are 
but for a moment, are working for me a far more exceed- 
ing and eternal weight of glory." "My work is pa- 
tience" was a familiar word with her in affliction. To 
me she always seemed cheerful when she was in the fur- 
nace, and it was her lot to be often there. She has been 
a great suff*erer, and yet, there seemed to be something 
in her experience that impressed me that she was 
keeping up a terrible fight to get the victory until her 
last sickness, which lasted between three and four 
years. She said to me one day during that period: 
"Thank God, I have got where I have long desired 
to be; that is, where I can trust God for all things. ' 
She said some of her happiest hours were spent in the 
sick-room. 

The devotion to her aged and infirm mother, who 
had been confined to her room for twenty-six years, 
with but little exception, was marked and intense. 



MRS. REBECCA STEWARD. 75 

When her health and circumstances would permit, she 
has walked the mile, between her house and her 
mother's, back and forth, two and three times a week, 
to assist in making her mother comfortable. It ap- 
pears that a wonderful providence was attending her 
life, and preparing her to depart to that Better Land. 
It seems that the Master was sparing her to see her 
mother of ninety years close her eyes before He called 
her to that blessed reward with that sainted mother, 
who went three weeks before her, and a dear sister, 
who had gone a day before her mother. Oh, what a 
blessed meeting there must have been, when they met 
in that heavenly land ; where affliction and sorrow are 
all over, and where the dead in Christ rest from their 
labors and their works follow them ! 



76 MEMOIRS OF 



Juiti Jek«« |iei^iff) 



BT 



MRS. ELIZABETH LLOYD. 

(NIECE.) 



1 cannot remember the time when I did not love 
and revere Aunt Rebecca ; but my most precious re- 
membrances of her are connected with the sabbath 
school, where, to my mind, she was incomparable; 
and even now, after the lapse of twenty-five years, 
the precious lessons that she taught her class are still 
in my mind and heart, and have greatly influenced 
my life and kept me from forbidden paths. You must 
know, as long as I attended Gouldtown Sunday 
School, which was from the reorganization of the 
school (which, under God, was wholly through Aunt 
Rebecca's influence), I was a member of her class. 

There was one lesson that she used frequently give 
us, from the second chapter of first Peter, it seems to 
me, that I shall ever remember. With what earnest- 
ness and with what solemnity did she strive to enforce 



3IRS. REBECCA STEWARD. 77 

its beautiful teachings upon our hearts. Again I re- 
member one particular lesson she gave personally to 
me, and, as I remember it well yet, it must prove how 
faithful she was in teaching. Among her very words 
were : ''Search the Scriptures, and may they make 
you wise unto salvation ! May they he a guide to your 
feet and a light to your path, and may your sins he 
hlotted outT' Very likely Aunt Rebecca had forgot- 
ten it long since, but I never have. When I was 
fifteen years of age, I was strongly exercised in mind 
about salvation, and it was Aunt Rebecca who helped 
me then ; and ever since, in my somewhat chequered 
life, my heart has always turned to her, and, I must 
say, that never once have I left her presence without 
feeling better, stronger, and wiser. She was a kind of 
inspiration to me. I have gone to her when I have 
felt that I was in the depths, and have left, feeling as 
if I could brave all things, and endure all things for 
the love of Christ. I have been so comforted by her 
words of wisdom and encouragement, and, sometimes, 
by her words of reproof also ; for she never failed in 
her gentle, sweet, and yet decided manner in telling 
me wherein she thought I was wrong, for which to-day 
I thank her. In one instance, I went to her, over- 
whelmed with my sorrow, and ready to despair ; she 
reflected a while, and then asked : If I had ever 

prayed for C ? I found that I never had. She 

showed me my duty in such a plain way, and said, 



78 MEMOIRS OF 

that if I prayed for him, that I -would not have such 
bitter feelings ; and how earnestly she entreated me 
to begin praying for him. Among the words she 
used, were : " You could not bear to see that man 
lost, cut off from Christ forever. Think of the rela- 
tionship he holds to yourself and your children. 
You must pray for him I ** This was four years 
ago, but the seed, that was sown that day, is still 
bearing fruit, and 1 have been blessed myself while 
praying for him. * * * * 1 now know that she 
had been taught of Christ. When I lost my little 
girl, Annie, though she was unable to walk without 
a staff, like an angel of mercy, she came to me in my 
sorrow, and prayed and talked with me, and now, my 
more than aunt, my almost mother, who, or what will 
fill your place tome? With tears in my eyes, and 
pain in my heart, I ask who ? Ever since I can re- 
member, I have gone to you with what 1 could not 
go to any one else ; always sure of a loving welcome, 
and always the gainer, through your words of wis- 
dom ! Oh ! how I loved Aunt Rebecca ! I remem- 
ber, when she was confined to her room so long, of 
her once saying to me, that she often prayed for me. 
I was overcome to tears, thinking how good, how 
charitable she was, to remember me in her afflictions. 
That parlor seemed to me then, and has ever since, 
like the gate of heaven and house of prayer. When 
I think of my dear aunt's goodness, and of her truly 



MRS. REBECCA STEWARD. 79 

noble womanhood, of her grand intellect, and, withal, 
of her sweet humility, of her perfect faith and trust, 
and obedience to the Father's will, and of how she 
labored for the advancement of Christ's Kingdom, I 
can but say: "Many daughters have done virtuously, 
but thou excellest them all." She never lost an op- 
portunity of saying a word for Jesus, and no one ever 
came near her influence, without knowing, that she 
had learned of Christ. I never remember of asking 
for instruction of her, upon any subject, without get- 
ting it; and I have heard many others say the same. 
It seemed to me, that she always had a word in season. 
She was certainly the most self-sacrificing of any 
woman that I ever knew. She was always willing to 
do good, no matter at what expense to the body, if 
she could; and, it seemed to me, that she was always 
looking for an opportunity. 

In the purity and loftiness, and expansiveness of 
her nature, there was no room for that narrow-minded 
selfishness, which cannot rejoice with those that do 
rejoice. Of her it can be truly said : She loved her 
NEIGHBOR AS HERSELF; and shc was pleased with the 
advancement of every one. 

As long, and as well as I have known her, I have 
never known her to speak of the shortcomings of 
others, only, in what seems to me, as the highest and 
broadest charity of a pure-minded christian woman, 
with sorrow and regret that they had so failed. 



80 MEMOIRS OF MRS. REBECCA STEWARD. 

Another admirable trait was her straightforward- 
ness. Her clear insight, that seemed to grasp and 
hold the most difficult truths, while the rest of us were 
struggling with doubts and fears, scarcely telling gold 
from dross, led her to seize always the pure gold. 

Truly, she was ever ready for every good word and 
labor of love. I call to mind deeds of charity, of 
which the world knows nothing, which greatly bene- 
fitted the recipients ; and her ever ready sympathies 
with the wants and woes of others, assures me, that 
she won the approbation of Him, who said: "Inas- 
much, as ye have done it to one of the least of these, 
my disciples, ye have done it unto me." 

Dear cousin, there may be many more learned and 
eloquent tributes paid to your mother's memory, but 
none can be more loving than mine ; and, if you will 
permit this letter (crude I know, for I am not accus- 
tomed to writing out my thoughts), to share a place 
among them, I shall feel honored. 

Your cousin, 

LIB. 




PART II. 

gonfaining: ''"^m "^cax^ on tf\c 'gSritiR of gorkn," 

iDifi) Jieffer^ on Jancfiftcafion anb a Jfori) 

for c^iftfc gtofR^; flje taet tiamcb 

njriffcn c^pre^^fi) for '^wo 

^ittk 'glcp^ciD0, 

BY 

MRS. REBECCA STEWARD. 



TWO YEARS ON THE BRINK OF JORDAN. 

Early one spring morning, as I was going about my 
work, a messenger arrived, saying my Father wanted 
me. So I made haste and finished up all my work, 
looked over my wardrobe, picked out and packed up 
such articles as I thought I should need, and started 
on my journey, my guide going on before. We had 
not traveled far before we came to a broad, dark river, 
whose waters at the time were very much swollen. 
My guide said, I would have to wait awhile till a ferry- 
boat could come and take me across; so I sat down on 
the bank of the river and began musing. The river, 

though so dark and swollen, did not look so dreary, 

(81) 



82 MEMOIRS OF 

for my guide had given me a telescope, through which 
I could look away beyond and see my Father's House, 
which was illuminated with glory and light ; and the 
light from that far mansion shone over the river and 
the dark valley all around. While I sat there musing, 
the boat came, but not for me; there were other 
friends there, the Father had sent for before me; but 
he sent me this comforting message: "I will never 
leave thee, nor forsake thee," and my soul answered: 
"All the days of my appointed time will I wait till 
my change comes." (Job iv., 14.) And so for many 
days I sat there waiting and musing ; again and again 
the boat came and went, friend after friend passed 
over, but still the message came not for me. At length 
I began to grow weary and impatient; to neglect my 
Father's business; saying my Lord delays his coming ; 
then came this quiet reproval : " Ye have need of 
patience, that after ye have done the will of God, ye 
might receive the promise." "For yet a little while 
and He that is to come will come and will not tarry." 
(Heb. ix., 36, 37.) After this gentle reproof, I 
felt ashamed and strove to humble myself under the 
mighty hand of God, and in due time He did build me 
up, for my guide advised me to take my telescope and 
take another look towards my Father's House. I 
did so, and the sight gave me new vigor, for I could 
see all the surroundings of my Home. I could see its 
beautiful gardens, all its choicest fruit and its sweetest 



3fRS, REBECCA STEWARD. 83 

flowers ; and flowing through the midst of the garden 
I could see the "pure river" of the "Water of Life," 
which watered and enlivened every plant that grew in 
the garden ; and on either side of the river stood the 
"Tree of life," "which bore twelve manner of fruit, 
and yielded her fruit every month, and the leaves of 
the tree were good for the healing of the nations;" 
then there was the sweet Lilly of the Valley, in its 
humble innocence sending up its rich perfume ; then 
the "Rose of Sharon" was there, whose odor filled 
the air with sweetness, and the Birds of Paradise were 
there, — those sweet little songsters that the Father had 
brought from the cold, sterile regions beyond Jordan, 
and placed in His beautiful garden. They were busily 
flitting from branch to branch, warbling forth their 
sweetest notes, and making the air resound with their 
music. Some of them I thought I almost knew, by 
the mark of their feathers. As I sat gazing, the river 
that before had been so swollen, seemed to subside 
and become very narrow, and seemed as if I had 
nothing to do, but get up and walk across ; but my 
guide detained me, saying: "If ye be willing and 
obedient, ye shall in due time eat the good of the 
land, but if disobedient, the sword of the enemy shall 
devour you." 

Being still detained and feeling somewhat woary^ 
" I laid me down and slept, and awoke again, for the 



84 MEMOIRS OF 

Lord sustained me." On awaking, I took up my tele- 
scope to take another look across, but I only had it 
adjusted to my eye, when I again discovered the ferry- 
boat in the distance. This time I thought surely it was 
coming for me, and began to look around and make 
all things ready for departure ; but again I was doomed 
to disappointment. The boat came, but not for me 
this time either ; another friend must go before me, one 
whom the Father thought more weak and needy than 
I. And as He saw me begin to grieve and fret. He sent 
me another comforting message, saying: ^'I will not 
leave the comfortless, in the sixth trial ; and in the 
seventh, I will not leave thee nor forsake thee." Then 
again my soul replied, I will fear no evil ; in God alone 
will I put my trust. When I found I had to wait awhile 
longer, I thought I would look around on this side of 
Jordan, for I had been so anxious to get home to my 
Father's House, and so busy looking beyond, that I had 
not noticed anything on this side so much ; and in the 
glory of light that beamed across the river, I had not 
noticed the poisonous flowers that spread their baneful 
influence over all the land, or the muddy, filthy pools, 
sending up their miasmatic odors, poisoning the air ; 
and while I was looking, with shame let me say it, 
poisonous as were those flowers, noxious as was the 
vapor from the pools, I began to be interested in them, 
and to seek after them ; so much so, that my guide 
said softly in my ear : " Watch and pray, lest ye enter 



MRS, REBECCA STEWARD. 85 

V 

into temptation." (Matt, xxvi., 41.) But I was so 
engrossed with the flowers, and the whisper came so 
softly, that I did not heed it, but kept on going farther 
away from the river, losing sight more and more of 
my Father's House. Again my guide called after me, 
but this time in louder tones : " Therefore be ye also 
ready, for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of 
Man Cometh." (Matt, xxvi., 24.) But still, strange as 
it may seem, and as ungrateful as it appears after the 
pleasant view I had had of my Father's House, and 
the soothing promises he had given me, such is per- 
verse human nature, that I paid but little heed, but 
still wandered on, plucking flowers, now here, now 
there, 'till I had gone quite away ; but still my loving 
Father would not leave me, " for whom the Lord loveth 
he chasteneth," and on looking up I saw my guide 
approaching with a rod, which, when he came near 
enough, he laid heavily about me. Humbled, ashamed 
and bleeding, he brought me back and laid me ex- 
hausted on the bank, where I lay for many days with- 
out power to move or courage to look up. Although 
I had been so disobedient, yet was my guide most 
assiduous in his attentions and care of me, saying: 
"If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you 
as with sons, for what son is he whom the Father 
chasteneth not. (Heb. xii., 70.) And as a father 
pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that 
love him, for he knows our frame that we are but dust: 



86 ' MEMOIRS OF 

(Ps. clxxxiii, 13.) It sorely repented me, and with 
the Psalmist I exclaimed: "My feet were almost 
gone, my steps were well nigh slipped." (Ps. Iviii, 2) 
Then I began to cry mightily unto the Lord for help, 
and from His temple He heard me, and from His Holy 
Hill He sent me succor. And I was comforted by this 
message: "Before thou callest I will hear thee, and 
while thou art yet speaking, I will answer thee." 
Being thus comforted and somewhat strengthened, my 
guide advised me to take up my telescope again and 
take another look across the river. It had been so 
long since I had looked across, he thought it would do 
me good, and so it did ; for as I looked the green shores 
appeared so pleasant and inviting to me, it made 
me feel at once like passing over, and while I was 
gazing I saw the boat again leave the shore ; this time I 
thought it would certainly come for me. Again I 
gathered up my things making ready to depart, and 
many friends gathered around me, mourning and weep- 
ing, begging me not to go, but stay with them ; yet I 
was anxious to be gone. Many were the petitions that 
went over to my Father's House to spare me a little 
longer, that " they could not do without me ;" in this I 
could not join them. I could only say: "Lord let 
thy will be done." Meanwhile the boat came nearer 
and nearer, and I lay looking, both hoping and fearing ; 
hoping it was coming for me, and fearing it was coming 
for me ; for like the apostle I was in a strait betwixt 



MRS. REBECCA STE]VARD. 87 

two: "for me to live is Christ, but to die is gain." 
(Phil, vii., 21-23.) And I suppose that the prayers of 
tender friends must have prevailed, for when the boat 
drew nearer, I found it was not coming for me yet, 
but I received this message: "Let Patience have her 
perfect work that ye may be perfect and entire, want- 
ing nothing. (James, i., 4.) From this I saw that 
Patience was to be my best friend and I tried to take 
her close to my bosom, and my heart breathed the 
prayer : " Lord help me with Patience to do all thy 
righteous will concerning me," and, as I sat there, 
with Patience for my comforter, I grew calm and 
composed and began to wonder what had become of 
the boat I had seen approaching, when, on looking 
around, I saw it had stopped close by an old friend 
that had been laying there for a long time ; almost 
ever since I had been there, and, while I looked, 
I saw her with a shout spring up and step quickly 
into the boat. Oh ! with what rapture I gazed ; and 
when the boat struck out from the shore I could 
hardly contain myself, I felt I really must go too. 
But Patience laid her hand on me, and whispered 
to me, to take my telescope and look after them; 
and, as I looked, the boat sprang from the shore 
with great velocity; the river seemed to become 
narrower, and the light from my Father's Temple so 
illuminated it, that the darkness had all fled away ; 
and, as I gazed, my vision became brighter and 



88 MEMOIRS OF 

brighter, and my telescope became more powerful, and 
it seemed, I might follow the boat with my naked eye, 
as it sped its way across, until it neared the other shore; 
and, as it neared the shore, I saw the pearly gates of 
my Father's House fly open, a company came out to 
meet her, with songs of welcome, saying : " Come ye, 
blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared 
for you from the foundation of the world." (Math. 
XXV., 34.) So they took hold of her and led her in 
through the gates; and, as they went through, I 
could hear the warbling of the birds amidst the rust- 
ling of the leaves, and could see the waving grass and 
sweet flowers, and the waters rippling along their 
winding way. As I looked, I really thought there 
were more birds than I had ever seen before ; and I 
never heard them sing so sweetly. As I gazed upon 
the shining ones, I tried to see if I could recognize any 
of them ; and I thought I could see several whose 
faces were familiar to me there, and with whom I had 
associated; and, while I was still looking, they led 
her into the vestry ; then I lost sight of her awhile ; 
but, presently, they brought her forth clothed in white 
linen, pure and clean, and a palm of victory was 
placed in her hand ; then I saw a greater number come 
to meet her, and they all joined in one mighty over- 
powering song, saying : " Salvation to our God, who 
sitteth on the throne, and unto the Lamb." (Rev. 
vii., 10.) 



MRS. REBECCA STEWARD. 89 

As I heard this, my heart felt like bursting with 
rapture. ! how I longed to be there ! Just then 
the pearly gates swung to, and I could see them no 
more. AYhen I could see no more within, I thought 
I would take a look around and view the holy ground, 
and "mark w^ell her bulwarks." So I looked well 
around her walls, and measured her towers, which I 
found to be very strong, so that no enemy could prevail 
against them ; and her walls were great and high, and 
I found they lay four-square and rested on twelve foun- 
dations, all of them precious stones, and on each foun- 
dation there was a name written, which, when I had 
looked more closely, I found to be the names of the 
twelve tribes of the children of Israel ; and in each wall 
I saw there were three gates, and on the gates I saw 
the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb ; and, 
as I still looked, I saw numbers coming and entering 
in at the gates, from all parts of the world. East, 
West, North, and South ; every gate seemed in use, 
and with every new arrival there were new songs of 
praise. As I still looked, I discovered, that all that 
went over, did not enter the pearly gates ; but, in- 
stead, some were hurled over a dreadful precipice, 
which lay just below the wall, and led to a dark, 
dreary gulf below, where the voice of their groanings 
was dreadful to hear. Then I asked: "Who are 
these?" And my guide informed me: " These are 
they that go away into everlasting punishment, and 



90 MEMOIRS OF 

the smoke of their torment ascends up forever and 
ever." And now my guide thought I had seen quite 
enough for awhile, and so had better lie down and 
rest; musing on these words: "Eye hath not seen, 
nor ear heard, neither has it entered the heart of 
man, the things which God has prepared for them 
that love Him." 

While wondering what more could be for the child 
of God, than that which my eyes had already seen, I 
fell asleep ; When I awoke, everything looked calm 
and bright around me ; so I thought, with Patience, I 
would take a stroll along the banks, and see if there 
were any friends there whom I knew ; for I saw many 
had gathered there unobserved, while I had been so 
deeply interested in what was going on, on the other 
side of the river. As I went around from one to 
another, I found several I was acquainted with ; some 
had been waiting for a long time, others had just ar- 
rived. Some were waiting with patience, others were 
growing very impatient. To while away the time, 
and for mutual encouragement, I sat down, and 
entered into conversation with some of them. '^ For 
as iron sharpeneth iron, so doth a man the face of 
his friend." Some had grown very weary, and one 
said: "I would have fainted, unless I had believed, 
to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the 
living ; and now I believe, that ere long I shall see the 
King in his beauty, for I have the promise, that He, 



MRS. REBECCA STEWARD. 91 

that is to come, will come, and will not tarry. And 
my Father's command is : Wait on the Lord, be of 
good courage ; and also the promise : And He shall 
strengthen thine heart. Wait, I say, on the Lord." 
With this I felt very much encouraged, and felt as 
if I too could " Wait on the Lord." Much more en- 
couragement from one and another I found, till pres- 
ently I saw one coming up in great haste, saying: 
"My Father has just sent for me in great haste, and 
I must be gone. Have you seen the boat that takes 
us across?" I looked up and saw it coming, and, 
while waiting for it to come to the shore, I asked her 
at what time the messenger came for her. " In the 
early part of the evening," she said, just as she had 
folded away all her work, and closed up her house, 
and had sit down, to enjoy a long, quiet evening, 
thinking over those texts of warning : " Let your 
loins be girded about you, and your lights burning." 
Another : " Be ye also ready ; for in an hour, when 
you think not, the Son of man cometh." And said 
she : Just while I was musing on these things, there 
came a knock at the door, and the messenger came in, 
saying: "The Master calleth for thee;" so I left all 
and made great haste to get here. The boat then 
came alongside ; she sprang in, and it shot off from 
the shore like an arrow. Again I felt as if I could 
not be left behind ; and, feeling so anxious to go, I 
almost sprang into the water ; for the river looked so 



92 MEMOIRS OF 

narrow, and I could see the bottom so plain ; it 
seemed as if I could walk across ; but Patience laid 
hold of me and gently held me back, saying: " Wait 
on the Lord, that the trial of your faith being 
much more precious than of gold, that perisheth, 
though it be tried with fire, might be found unto 
praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus 
Christ." 

But I still felt so homesick and complaining, that 
my friend had almost gained the other side, before I 
had observed it ; so, then, I thought, if I could not 
go, I could see across, and with my telescope I could 
follow her and see her enter the pearly gates ; by 
this time she had reached the shore, and I saw a great 
company come out to meet her, having harps in their 
hands ; among them were several that I knew, who 
had journeyed with us through life, whom I had 
heard many times tell their hopes and fears ; but, 
now, they were safely housed in their Father's man- 
sion, never more to go out. As they came to her 
they commenced chanting : " Blessed are they that 
do his commandments ; that they may have a right to 
the Tree of Life, and may enter in through the gates 
into the City." 

As they led her through the gates, I again heard 
the singing of birds ; it seemed to me, at this time, 
they sang louder and sweeter than ever. And 



MES. REBECCA STEWARD. 93 

amongst them I saw three,* that I thought looked 
more bright and cheerful than the rest. These kept 
all the time very near her, sometimes sitting on her 
shoulders, sometimes in one place, then another ; but 
all the time keeping near her, and expressing the ut- 
most joy. On examining more closely, I found they 
were some pets that she had sent to her Father sev- 
eral years before ; and now they led, her into the 
vestry ; and, while they were robing her, as the gates 
were still ajar, I thought I would look further within. 
So, by readjusting my telescope, and increasing its 
magnifying power, I could see away beyond the walls ; 
and I discovered there "many mansions," that my 
"Elder Brother" had gone many years ago to prepare, 
for all those that love him. I thought, "my sister will 
soon inhabit one of these mansions," and, how long, 
ere I too shall inhabit one also ; and, in the anxiety and 
desire of my soul, I cried: "How long, oh Lord! " 
Then my guide whispered, reprovingly : " In patience 
possess ye your soul." So, being comforted, I con- 
tinued my gaze, and, looking further on, I saw a 
great and high mountain, which, my guide told me, 
was Mount Zion ; and a Lamb stood on the mountain, 
and with him a hundred and forty and four thousands, 
havins: their Father's name written in their foreheads; 
and I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many 

* Three children that this Christian mother had buried 
before. 



94 MEMOIRS OF 

waters, and as the voice of a great thunder ; and I 
heard the voice of harpers, harping on their harps ; 
and, they sang, as it were, a new song before the 
throne. (Rev. xiv., 1 — 3.) Then I inquired of my 
guide who the Lamb was, and who was this great 
company that was with him ; and he said : " The 
Lamb is He that was slain from the foundation of the 
world, and they, that are with -him, are those who 
follow the Lamb, withersoever he goeth ; these were 
redeemed from among men, being the first fruits unto 
God and the Lamb." As I listened to their music, 
I tried to hear what they were singing ; and I found 
they were singing the " Song of Moses, the servant 
of God," and the song of the Lamb, saying : " Great 
and marvelous are thy ways. Lord God Almighty. 
Just and true are thy ways, thou King of Saints. 
Who shall not fear thee, Lord, and glorify thy 
name, for Thou only art holy ; for all nations shall 
come and worship before thee, for thy judgments are 
made manifest." (Rev. xv., 3, 4.) 

I had become so enraptured with this beautiful 
sight, and so charmed with the music, that I had 
quite forgotten my sister ; but now I bethought my- 
self to look for her. I had not looked long, before I 
discovered her amidst the company of the just made 
perfect ; and, I thought, her song was the loudest of 
any, as she sang : "I have come up through tribula- 
tions, and washed my robes and made them white in 



MRS. REBECCA STEWARD. 95 

the blood of the Lamb ! " Oh, how I longed to be 
amongst the heavenly throng; but just then I heard 
friends calling me on this side, saying: " Oh, be con- 
tent to stay with us a little longer ; we cannot let you 
go ; even lying here, we cannot do without you ; even 
this is better than not have you at all." The little 
children came winding themselves around me, begging 
me to stay. " Oh," they would say, '' we do want you 
to be back among us ; we cannot bear you to leave 
us." Oh ! the power of human love ! How my heart 
was grieved ! I was again in a strait betwixt two ; for, 
indeed, I felt it better to "depart and be with Christ." 
But my Father knew best what he wanted me to do, 
so He left me the promise : " Abide in me and I will 
abide in you ; I will not leave you comfortless ; I will 
come to you." After this I entered into conversation 
with my guide, about my friends that had gone over ; 
said he: " How did you know those friends?" I 
answered by asking him another equally important 
question : " How did you know the Lamb that was 
slain from the foundation of the world? " Said he: 
"I knew Him by the marks in His hands and side, 
(John XX., 20), and from what the angels told us when 
He was taken up into heaven and a cloud received him 
out of sight." ^This same Jesus,' said they, 'which 
is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in 
like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven." 
(Acts i., 9.) Well, said I, that is just how I knew my 



96 MEMOIRS OF 

friends ; by the marks on them. Some men will say : 
" How are the dead raised up, and with what body 
do they come ? Thou fool ; that which thou sow- 
est is not quickened, except it die, and that, which 
thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, 
but are grain ; it may chance of wheat, or of some 
other grain, but God giveth it a body as it hath 
pleased him, and to every seed his own body. There 
are also celestial bodies and bodies terrestial ; but 
the glory of the celestial is one and the glory of the 
terrestial is another. There is one glory of the sun 
and another of the moon, and another glory of the 
stars ; for one star differeth from another star in 
.glory, so also is the resurrection of the dead. It is 
sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body; 
there is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. 
And so it is written, that the first man, Adam, was 
made a living soul, the last Adam was made a quick- 
ening spirit. How be it, that was not first which is 
spiritual, but that which is natural, and afterward 
that which is spiritual. The first man is of earth, earthy, 
the second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the 
earthy, such are they also that are earthy; and as is 
the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. 
And as we have born the image of the earthy, we shall 
also bear the image of the heavenly. Now this I 
say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the 
kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit in- 



MBS. REBECCA STEWABD. 97 

corruption. (1 Cor. xv.) Now this is the way that 
I know them. As the Lamb that was slain, took 
upon him the image of the earth, earthy, the form of 
a servant, so do they take upon them the image of 
the Lord from heaven ; and, as you have shown me 
the Lamb, I cannot be mistaken in them, and I think 
when I look again, I shall find many more that I 
have known ; for I think I know what kind of seed 
they were, and from every seed I look for its own 
plant. Then said my guide: ^'Who else do you 
think you will find there, besides your immediate 
friends ? " I answered : "I think I shall see Moses 
and Elijah, from the fact that they were seen with my 
Saviour on the Mount of Transfiguration ; and God 
is not the God of the dead, but of the living. And 
I think I shall see Abraham, because Christ himself 
says the rich man saw him with Lazarus in his bosom. 
And I shall see Israel, for the Revelator tells me that 
he saw one hundred and forty and four thousand of 
the children there. I shall see Solomon and David, 
and Samuel and Paul, and Peter, and so many others 
that I cannot now name, all of the one hundred and 
forty and four thousand of the tribes of Israel." I 
felt so rejoiced with the thought of meeting so many, 
that I could heartily j oin with the Poet in saying : 

" Give joy or grief, give ease or pain, 
Take life or friends away. 
But let me find them all again, r 

In that Eternal day." r 



98 MEMOIRS OF 

For many days more I lay there on the brink, 
waiting for the boatman ; but still he came not. I 
began to think Patience was about to desert me ; it 
seemed to me, I had so nearly lost sight of her, that 
I could hardly hear her voice ; then I cried unto my 
Father : " Cast me not away from thy presence, and 
take not thy holy spirit from me ! " Then came the 
message: "Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for 
him ; ".this comforting, though short message, cheered 
me much, for it seemed to bring a sweet sense of rest 
and security with it ; and with the Psalmist I could 
say : " Thy mercy, Lord, is in the Heavens, and 
thy faithfulness reaches into the clouds ; thy right- 
eousness is like the great mountains; thy judgments 
are as great deeps ; Lord, thou preservest man and 
beast ; how excellent is thy loving kindness, God ; 
therefore the children of men put their trust under 
the shadow of thy wing ; they shall be abundantly 
satisfied with the fatness of thy house, and thou shalt 
make them drink of the rivers of thy pleasures." I 
felt filled with that sweet peace that flows as a river, 
and enters in and fills the soul with glory and with 
God. As the boatman came not for me yet, I thought 
I would look around again and see if any new friends 
had gathered along the brink ; and, while I was look- 
ing, I saw one coming with slow, reluctant step, as if 
he would rather stay on this side of Jordan than to 
cross over ; but his guide kept urging him on with 



MRS. REBECCA STEWARD. 99 

the Father's message: "Come unto me all ye that 
are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest." 
"Well," said he, "I am weary and heavy laden; I 
have had a tiresome journey through this howling 
wilderness, and fain would find rest ; but I have be- 
come so^ dirty and bedabbled through the swamps and 
quagmires, that I have not a garment fit to appear 
before Him in." The guide answered: "All that 
will come, may come and partake of the waters of 
life freely." Then said he: "I will arise and go to 
my Father." He brightened up and quickened his 
pace ; as soon as the guide saw that he was willing to 
go, he sent to the servants to bring hither the best 
robe and put it on him ; and, so neatly clad, and in 
his right mind, I saw him approach the "bank," and 
seeing he would have to wait some time for the boat- 
man, I entered into conversation, by asking at what 
time the Father sent for him ; he said : " Just about 
noon, just as I had finished up my morning's work, 
and thought the hardest of the day was done, and I 
could in the afternoon finish those little jobs that I had 
planned in the morning ; but in the hour, I thought 
not, the Son of man came." "But what," I asked, 
"made you so reluctant to come? " "Oh," said he, 
" I thought the Father was angry with me; for it is 
written : " God is angry with the wicked every day ; " 
but I heard another say : " He that cometh with a 
broken and a contrite heart, he will in no wise cast 



100 MEMOIRS OF 

out." I thought I would go, for I could only perish 
anyway, and if I tried to stay away, I knew I should 
perish ; another said to me : 

" A broken heart He'll not despise, 
Nor on the contrite sinner frown, 
His ear is open to their cries, 
He'll quickly send salvation down." 

And He did send salvation ; for, when I cried 
mightily unto the Lord, He heard me, and from His 
Holy Hill He sent me help ; He took me up from the 
mire and clay and dressed me in garments neat and 
clean, and has brought me in sight of my heavenly 
rest ! Only this narrow river lies between, and I shall 
cross that, for I think I see the boatman coming now." 
With a glad shout of triumph he entered the boat 
and was gone. I knew the gates would be opened 
again, so I made haste to gather up my telescope ; 
and again I saw the shining ones come to meet and 
welcome a brother to his eternal rest ; and again I 
heard the glad shouts of welcome and praise, as they 
dressed him in clean, white robes, and put a crown 
on his head, and led him to the Father, who met him, 
and with His own hand wiped all tears from his eyes, 
telling him, he should have no more sorrow, nor cry- 
ing, nor sickness, nor death, nor go any more out, 
neither should he thirst any more, and the sun should 
not light on him, nor any heat. Oh ! What more, I 
thought, could I want to make up an eternal rest ! 



MRS. REBECCA STEWARD. 101 

Just then my attention was attracted by the sound of 
unutterable groanings and crying, and I looked 
around to see what it all meant, and I saw close 
beside me one lying apparently in great agony. I 
inquired what could be the matter ? Said he : "Just 
this morning, quite early, the Master has sent for me, 
and here I am; naked and barefooted; without a 
thing to cover me ; I had a garment all washed in the 
blood of the Lamb. The Master provided it for me, 
but I thought it was too long and straight for me ; so 
I laid it aside, and now I cannot find it ; Oil ! help 
ME TO LOOK FOR IT ! " By this time others hearing 
his cries had been attracted to the spot, and in piteous 
moans and tears he begged, he entreated them, to as- 
sist in searching for the neglected robe. All this 
while he lay there without making an effort to seek 
for it himself; and, although his friends searched 
with much earnestness, they could not find it. They 
then besought him to get up and look for it himself; 
but he could not be persuaded, and would continue to 
lie there groaning, and begging them to continue 
their search. Meanwhile the boatman was waiting 
and urging him to go, till finally he compelled him to go 
on board, and the boat pushed off; and immediately 
the river became so dark and swollen, that we lost 
sight of it, and we could see it no more. Surely, 
thought I, " The wages of sin is death, but the gift 
of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." 



102 MEMOIRS OF 

For mrny days I lay there, feeling very listless, 
not caring to look beyond the river, nor even to look 
on this side. I was just in the condition to listen to 
the voice of the tempter, when he whispered : "Why 
stay here any longer ? the Lord delays his coming ; 
He might have come sooner ; it is very cruel to be 
lying in this dreary, loathsome place so long." And 
again, with shame I must confess, that after all the 
visions of glory I had seen, and all of my Father's 
goodness to me, I listened to his wily whispering, till 
I became almost enraged, and began to cast about me 
this way and that, for a way of deliverance. At one 
moment I would feel like going back into the wilder- 
ness, in all its filth and quagmires, and the next I 
would feel like rushing headlong, uncalled for, into 
the river ; any way, it seemed to me, to get out of 
this murky, deathly atmosphere. For several days I 
was thus tempted. Oh ! those were dreadful days to 
me I I sat in sullen silence, and would not look toward 
my Father's house ; I would not see the light that 
was beaming across ; would not see my Father's 
gracious smile ; nor would I see His loving hand 
reached out to help me. My telescope lay beside 
me, but I would not take it up. But, oh ! the depth 
of the wisdom and knowledge of God ! " How un- 
searchable are His judgments, and His ways past 
finding out ! " Blessed be His Holy Name. He 
would not leave me, nor suffer His loving kindness to 



MRS. REBECCA STEWARD, 103 

be removed from me ; but in the midst of deserved 
wrath He remembered mercy toward me. On look- 
ing up I saw my guide coming near, saying: "Dost 
thou well to be angry." Hast thou not received 
good from the hands of the Lord, and shalt thou not 
receive the evil ? And if thou doest well, shalt thou 
not dwell in the land of the living forever ? For the 
mercy of the Lord is round about them that put their 
trust in Him. Though clouds and darkness may be 
round about Him, yet righteousness and judgment 
are the habitation of His throne." x\t these words 
the tempter left me, and Patience again resumed her 
seat, and commenced to soothe and tranquilize my 
spirit, saying: "Return unto thy rest, for the Lord 
has dealt bountifully with thee. Ye, that fear the 
Lord, trust in the Lord, for He is your help and your 
shield. 0! forget not all His mercies." At this I 
felt very much humbled and sinsick ; and I longed to 
be free from the power of sin and temptation, and 
earnestly I prayed the Father: "Lead me not into 
temptation, but deliver me from all evil ! " And with 
the apostle I could exclaim : " Oh ! wretched man 
that I am ! Who shall deliver me from the body of 
this death ? Oh, that I had the wings of a dove ! 
Then I would fly away and be at rest." " But then," 
said Patience, "as you cannot go yet, you had better 
take your telescope and look again beyond the river." 
So I took it up and began to look around; first on 



104 MEMOIRS OF 

this side, but here, as usual, I could find no rest or 
abiding place; nothing but filth and stench that 
sickened me; but as soon as I turned my gaze toward 
my Father's house, I was struck with the glorious 
light that fell from the place ; for it seemed to shine 
with peculiar brightness ; and, as the gates were ajar, 
I could look full within ; but I could see no sun, nor 
moon, nor the light of a candle ; but the light was 
glorious, far surpassing the light of the sun at noon- 
day. So I looked in wonder, to see from where it 
came. My guide said : " There is no need of the 
sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of 
God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. 
(Rev. XX., 2, 3.) And this is the same light that has 
lighted up this valley ever since the time the Lamb 
passed through it and fought and conquered the 
tempter ; for it was in this valley He spent some 
time, and on this bank He was hard beset ; here was 
the dreadful conflict ; here it was He was hedged in 
as you are ; here the tempter raged as he never had 
raged before; and Jordan swelled .and roared, and 
overflowed her banks ; such a time was never known 
before, since the world began ; but the Lamb gained 
the victory ; bound the enemy, subdued Jordan, and 
passed safely over. And all his followers have to do, 
is to keep in the light and they need not fear." Then 
the prayer arose from my heart: "Oh Lord! help 
me to walk in the light of thy countenance; my 



MRS. REBECCA STEWARD. 105 

times are in thy hands ; deliver me from the hands of 
my enemies ; make thy face to shine on thy servant ; 
save me for thy mercies' sake." Then said my guide: 
'^Be of good cheer. '' 

5* 



IOC MEMOIRS OF 



4ui\\Miim, 



BY 



MRS. R. S. 



Can we be sanctified and live ? 

I have often heard it questioned : Can we live in a 
sanctified state? I ask first, is not Christ able to 
keep us in a sanctified state ? Did God ever break a 
covenant that He has made? Every covenant He has 
made with man has been sealed with blood ; and the 
Apostle says, without the shedding of blood is no re- 
mission of sins. When God made His promises to 
Abraham, that in his seed all the nations of the earth 
should be blessed, He made Abraham take an heifer 
of three years old, a she-goat of three years old, a ram, 
a turtle dove and a young pigeon, and divide them 
asunder, that the flowing blood might, as it were, 
cleanse the passage between the parts ; and the Lord 
passing between the parts in the form of a smoking 
furnace and a burning lamp, swore unto Abraham that 
to him and his seed He would give that land forever. 



3IRS. REBECCA STEWARD. 107 

Havino" sealed the covenant with blood, and with an 
oath, God was bound to keep it ; and He did keep it. 
Although He permitted them to be severely tried and 
carried away from their own land into cruel bondage, 
and to serve under hard task-masters for many years, 
yet did they become a great nation, for God had said : 
"In blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I 
will multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven," and 
" in thy seed shall all the nations of the ejrrth be 

blessed." 

When God is about bringing them out of bondage. 
He renews His covenant and again requires blood ; but 
this time the blood of a perfect lamb, and the blood 
must be sprinkled upon the door-posts and lintels of 
every door, setting the inmates apart to God, or 
showing that God's people dwelt there ; and the de- 
stroying angel passed over the land but destroyed them 
not, because God knew and kept them. He brought 
them safely out of bondage into a wilderness, and con- 
ducted them through the wilderness safely to the prom- 
ised rest. He did not at once let then enter into that 
rest ; but kept them in the wilderness to try them, 
and prove them. They were His people, sanctified to 
Him by the blood of the perfect lamb, and He could 
keep them just as well in the wilderness as in the land 
of Canaan. He could spread their table in the sight 
of their foes. When they wanted meat. He gave them 
quails in abundance; when they wanted bread, He sent 



108 MEMOIRS OF 

them manna from heaven — angels food; when they 
wanted water the rock contained a full supply, but 
must be smitten to produce it; and it sent forth a 
stream that followed them through all their journey, 
typifying the spirit of grace that accompanies the child 
of God through all his journey. Although they 
wandered forty years in the wilderness, their garments 
did not grow old, nor their sandals wear out. So we 
see that God provided for them through all their 
.wandering and brought them to that promised rest, 
and according to his promise they became a great 
nation. 

Once more, God renews the covenant He made with 
Abraham, or in other words fulfilled it. Hero it re- 
quires again the shedding of blood, and this time it 
must be the precious blood of the Lord Jesus, the only 
begotten son of God which cleanses from all sin. If 
the typical blood of Abraham's heifer and Moses' 
lamb, could prevail with God, to the temporal salva- 
tion of man, how much more shall the precious blood 
of Christ prevail to the purifying and washing away of 
all our sins. As God gave the promise of the " seed " 
to Abraham, and set it apart in Israel, he has perfected 
it in Christ. As He kept them (His people) in the 
temporal wilderness through which they had to pass 
to get to their promised rest, so will He keep us in 
Christ through this wilderness of sin through which 
we must all pass. It is not His will to take us at once 



MRS. REBECCA STEWARD. 109 

from the world ; but to keep us in the world ; to help 
build up His kingdom in the world ; for it must take 
perfect workmen to do perfect work. 

Christ when praying for his Apostles, prayed not 
the Father to take them out of the world ; but that 
He should keep them from the evil of the world. Nor 
need we ever look to be freed from temptation ; but 
He will not suffer more to come upon us than He will 
give us grace to bear, and with every temptation will 
provide a way for our escape. Christ at one time 
said to Peter " Satan desireth to have thee, that he 
may sift thee as wheat;" but what follows? The 
wrath of God hangs over Peter, but Christ our medi- 
ator intercedes, and his soothing words are, " I have 
prayed the Father for thee, that thy faith fail thee not ; 
and when thou art converted, strengthen thy breth- 
ren." Thus we must be kept for mutual aid and for 
mutual comfort. 

If God were to remove each one as soon as he becomes 
perfect in Christ, who would be left to tell transgress- 
ors the way ? Or how could the kingdom of Christ 
flourish in the world? For the kingdoms of this 
world are to become the kingdoms of our Lord and 
His Christ, and the sanctified Christian is the salt of 
the earth. Take him away, and what becomes of the 
world ? God has use for all His perfect men and 
women in the world ; they must be in the world, but 
not of the world. 



110 MEMOIRS OF 

It is a mistaken idea that we can be Christians and 
not sanctified Christians ; and, as God has use for us 
in the world, it is very plain that He is not only able 
to keep us, but He will keep us, until He has finished 
all His righteous will concerning us ; until everything 
is done that we can do; until we have withstood 
temptation at every point even as our Saviour did; 
until the last battle is fought and the victory won I 
Oh ! I wish that every Christian would feel that he 
is a sanctified Christian, and go to work as such. Oh ! 
that every one could feel that to-day I am a pillar in 
the temple of our God ; a living stone in the building ; 
instead of sitting still and dreaming: "Can I be sanc- 
tified, or when can I be sanctified." Oh ! that Christ- 
ians would awake, and look around, and see what 
they can do for the Master. The fields are all white 
for harvest. The Lord calls for laborers. Christian 
brothers and sisters will you not awake ; will you not 
have faith in Christ ; seeing that God hath perfected 
in him all that He promised in Abraham, and all that 
He "set apart in Israel." The Lord which made 
heaven and earth is thy keeper. " He will not sufi'er 
thy foot to be moved ; He that keepeth thee will not 
slumber. Behold He that keepeth Israel shall neither 
slumber nor sleep. The Lord is thy keeper : the 
Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun 
shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. 
The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil ; He shall 



MRS. REBECCA STEWARD. Ill 

preserve thy soul. The Lord shall preserve thy going 
out, and thy coming in from this time forth, and even 
forever." (Psalms cxxi., 3-8). This God, Christian, 
is thy God. He that spreadeth out the heavens as a 
curtain ; who keepeth the stars in their courses ; who 
causes the sun to show forth his light at morning, and 
the moon at evening. He that keeps all nature in its 
proper course year after year for so many ages, will 
He not keep thee through thy life's short day and 
bring thee to heaven at last ? 

As a father pitieth His children so the Lord pitieth 
them that love Him. The father will labor hard 
night and day, will make any sacrifice, will deny him- 
self any pleasure, will travel East, West, North or 
South, and endure any hardships for his children's 
sake ; and should he have a dozen or more, yet his 
care over them will not diminish, nor will he grow 
weary of his labors. " If ye then being evil know 
how to give good gifts to your children, how much 
more will your Heavenly Father give His holy spirit 
to them that ask Him." Let us then trust a Father's 
love, and dwell safely under the shadow of his wing 
and we need not fear ! 

*' Though friends should all fail and foes all 
unite," we may go on firmly trusting " The Lord will 
provide" trusting in His everlasting arms, we shall 
pass safely through the wilderness of sin, and at last 
get safely into our Father's house, where we shall rest 



112 MEMOIRS OF 

from all care and sing our sufferings o'er ; where sin, 
and sorrow, pain and death, never can enter. Being 
washed and cleansed in the blood of the Lamb, we 
shall join our voices with one accord in singing bless- 
ing and honor and wisdom and thanksgiving be unto 
the Lamb forever and forever. 



MES. REBECCA STEWARD. 113 



l(t 




*♦ 



BT 



MRS. R. S. 



When God had finished His work of creation, He 
set apart the seventh day, and sanctified it to Himself. 
In it no one was to do any work ; it was to be holy. 
The day in itself was like all other days; nothing 
difi'erent; just as long, just as short; but He chose 
it to himself. He chose the whole of it, and all of it 
at once. He did not say, half shall be yours and 
half mine ; or, I will sanctify a part now and the rest 
on next seventh day ; but as soon as the day dawned, 
it was Tialloived to the Lord, 

So in the work of redemption. Christ has finished 
His work; done all there is to do. He has opened 
the way and made it passible, and now invites all to 
come and find pardon ; and sets the time when they 
should come. He says, now is the accepted time ; to- 
day is the day of salvation ; if ye hear my voice, 
harden not your hearts. The time is fulfilled, the 



114 MEMOIRS OF 

Kingdom of Heaven is at hand ; repent ye and believe 
the Gospel. 

The d.iy of redemption has dawned. Our King 
has fought the mighty battle ; has gained the glorious 
victory ; has set up His Kingdom, and now invites 
every one to become willing subjects. And all He 
requires of us is simply to "repent and believe the 
gospel," which promises that all things shall be added 
unto us. We may ask for it with confidence and 
without fear, for it is our Father's good pleasure to 
give us the Kingdom. 

Then repentance toward God and faith in the Lord 
Jesus Christ, are the very groundwork of religion ; and 
are more than all burnt offerings. For He taketh no 
delight in sacrifices and offerings, but a contrite heart 
is always acceptable with Him. 

What is repentance but a sorrow for sin, and the 
forsaking of sin for our love to God. Love to God, 
because He first loved us. God loves us. He wills 
our salvation ; and draws us to Him by the cords of 
love. We feel a sorrow in our hearts ; a weariness of 
sin, a dread of coming vengeance ; we begin to con- 
sider, and finally to ask, "What shall I do to be 
saved." Then comes the promise: "Believe on the 
Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved." What 
then is faith but believing in Him who was sent; be- 
lieving that he came to save ; believing that He is 
willing to save ; believing that He will save ; because 



MRS. REBECCA STEWARD. 115 

the Father sent Him for this purpose. Him hath 
the Father sanctified, and sent unto the world to save 
the world. Believe that He is able to save ; "thou 
hast given Him power over all flesh, that He should 
give eternal life to as many as thou hast given Him." 
(John xvii, 2.) Believe that He is willing. "I lay 
down my life for the sheep." Then, we can go to 
God pleading these promises, and God will justify us 
through this faith, and Christ will apply the sanctify- 
ing blood that seals the covenant. For, by His own 
blood He has entered, once for all, into the Holy 
place, having obtained "eternal redemption for us." 
And as every law and every precept was sprinkled 
with blood, so has Christ sealed every promise and 
every covenant, with His own precious blood. Then 
it surely follows, we cannot believe without being justi- 
fied; and we cannot be justified without being sancti- 
fied. " Therefore being j ustified by faith we have peace 
with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ," and this 
peace we can only have by being one in Christ and 
abiding in Him. It is a peace the world cannot give 
nor take away ; a peace that subdues all evil passions, 
a peace that keeps us patient and cheerful under difii- 
culties ; that keeps us humble and truthful under trials 
and temptations. This is the grace that must prevail 
in a distressing hour; and, filled with the sweet peace, 
we can sing "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not 
want, etc.," and this sanctifying grace makes us heirs 



116 MEMOIRS OF 

of God, and joint heirs with Christ, who owns us for 
brethren and writes our names in the Book of Life. 

But some may inquire : " How can we become per- 
fect at once ?" Do you see that little babe ? As soon 
as it is born it is n perfect child; perfect in its father's 
love, perfect in its mother's tender care ; perfect as a 
child — not yet a perfect man, but all the germ of the 
man is there. His limbs, hands and feet are perfect; 
of his body there is no part lacking ; and under the 
fostering care, and tender nursing of his mother, the 
rigid but wholesome discipline of the father, he must 
grow to perfect manhood, — and who can fix the time 
when the child ceases and when the man begins. Or, 
see the branch in the vine ; as soon as it shoots its 
buds out of the vine, it is a branch in the vine, and 
never ceases to be such until cut ofi". The grain of 
mustard seed cast into the ground becomes a tree ; but 
who can tell when it ceases to be a plant. So is every 
one that is born of the Spirit. "The wind bloweth 
where it listeth, thou hearest the sound thereof and 
canst not tell whence it cometh or whither it goeth." 

As soon as we believe we are perfect in Christ ; and 
through the wise and just discipline of God the father, 
and the loving and tender care of Christ as our mother^ 
being fed with the word, we grow in grace and in the 
knowledge of the truth daily. We can no more exist 
in a justified state and not be sanctified, than a child 
can be born without a natural mother ! Ye must he 



MRS. REBECCA STEWARD. 117 

horn again, — born of the water, and of the spirit, 
and of the blood; for that which is born of the flesh 
is flesh ! The natural mind is ''enmity against God; 
it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can 
be." But if we are in Christ, we are new creatures; 
" old things are done away, and all things are become 
new." There is therefore now no condemnation to 
them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after 
the flesh but after the spirit." Then 

"Christ the sanctifying blood applies, 
And makes us white as snow." 



118 MEMOIRS OF 




BY 



MRS. R. S. 



A father, while making provision for his children, 
whether rich or poor, will naturally expect love and 
obedience from them in return ; and an unkind or 
disobedient act in them must be a cause of great sor- 
row to the father's heart, yet it is very seldom that 
he will go so far as to turn the child away from his 
door. 

So with our Heavenly Father. He has done all 
for us that can be done ; He has laid up an eternal 
Inheritance for us ; He has prepared for us " many 
mansions," and preserves for us a crown "that fadeth 
not away," and now requires of us humble obedience, 
full submission to His holy will. 

He not only commands us to repent and believe, 
but to take up our cross daily and follow Jesus. 

If we wish to follow any one we must either see 
the person or the way in which he has walked; 



3IRS. REBECCA STEWARD. 119 

let us then find the foot-prints of Jesus, that we may 
walk therein and live. 

While on earth, His whole life was spent in doing 
good ; He was found among the needy and poor, the af- 
flicted and sorrowing, relieving their aflilictions, sooth- 
ing their sorrow or quieting their fears. He w^as never 
found among the giddy and gay, in the halls of revelry 
and mirth. He was ever ready to weep with those 
who wept, and to rejoice with those who rejoiced in 
the truth. Was there a bereaved mother or discon- 
solate sister weeping over their dead ? Christ was there 
to join His tears and comfort them. Did they need 
any of His assistance ? He was ever ready to give it. 
Was any afflicted with sore disease? He was ready to 
heal them ; none ever came to Him in vain ; He up- 
braided never, and sent none empty away. He 
shunned none for their poverty and favored none for 
their wealth. He was never presumptuous or proud. 
When tempted by Satan to exert His power for His 
own benefit. He refused, and silenced the tempter 
with the scathing rebuke : " Get thee hence, Satan, 
for it is written, thou shall not tempt the Lord thy 
God." 

Thus in all thino^s our Saviour was bearinor His 
cross ; tempted by Satan ; hated and scorned by false 
friends ; persecuted by enemies ; and finally, dying 
for the sins of the world. 

This, dear Christian, w^as the path trodden by our 



120 MEMOIRS OF 

Saviour. And remember, He was a sanctified Sa- 
viour. " Him hath the Father sanctified," etc. 

He has not only left His foot-prints for us to fol- 
low, but He has also left a rule for us to walk by, 
that, being in the light, we may walk in the light. 

The first commandment given is : " Thou shalt 
love;" and the second commandment is: "Thou 
shalt LOVE. Love is the fulfilling of the law." This 
is the power that puts the whole Christian life in 
action. This love must be toward God, with all our 
heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to our neighbor 
as ourself. As impossible as this may appear to the 
"carnal mind," yet to the child of God it is very 
possible. What can be more possible than for a child 
to love his father and his own brothers and sisters ! 
Although, as children, they may not all agree in 
everything, they will have diff'erent sentiments, differ- 
ent opinions, and diff'erent ways of acting. They 
will still be united in their love to their parents and 
their love to each other. They will not, by any 
means, do anything to injure each other, but will do 
all they can to assist each other ; neither will they be 
first to expose one another's faults, but will practice 
that "charity that covereth a multitude of sins." 

This is just what God requires of His children, 
viz.: to be perfect in our love to Him^ and to have 
perfect charity^ 07ie with another. " Charity, that 
thinketh no evil, is not easily provoked, rejoices not 



MBS. REBECCA STEWARD. 121 

in iniquity, but rejoices in the truthi." This is the 
love that helps us to overcome difficulties, that enables 
us to bear each other's burdens, that makes us feel each 
other's cares, and forgive each other's faults; that 
prevents us from taking "up a reproach against our 
neighbor, (Psalm xv., 3), and makes us one family in 
Christ." 

This love purifies the heart and brings us close to 
God, making us bold to take up, and firm to sustain 
the consecrated cross. But it is impossible to attain 
to this perfect life without some trials and sufi'erings. 
Our Saviour had His trials and temptations, so must 
we have. He did not purchase our salvation and 
pass to Heaven "on flow'ry beds of ease," neither 
can we. 

He laid aside His glory and made Himself of no 
reputation, and took upon Himself the form of a 
servant, and was made in the likeness of sinful 
flesh, and humbled Himself and became obedient unto 
death, even the death of the cross ; therefore, in fol- 
lowing Him, we must, as saith the apostle, lay aside 
every weight and the sin that so easily besets us. 
We must strip ourselves of all un-godliness and wordly 
lusts, of every appearance of evil, to the plucking 
out of the right eye or the cutting ofi" of the right 
hand. It is better to live maimed than to die whole. 
We must also put on the whole armor of God which 
Christ alone can give, as the poet grandly sings : 



122 MEMOIRS OF 

" In the mountain of Zion, in Christ's armory 
There are sword, shield and breast-pkite and helmet for 
thee." 

Having put on this "whole armor," the command 
is to stand! 

" Stand then against your foes 
In close and firm array, 
Legions of wily friends oppose 
Throughout the evil day." 

The world, the flesh, and Satan will oppose us. 
The flesh will continually cry for ease, for comfort 
and for pleasure that is not becoming. It will say 
the cross is too heavy, the w^ay is too hard ; the life we 
are trying to live is too perfect, we never can attain 
to it, our Saviour never intended it and no one ever 
did thus live. It will appeal to our self-love, and tell 
us we are already better than our neighbors and 
should not mingle with other people. It will appeal 
to our pride and tell us the valley of blessing is too 
low, and those that walk therein are far beneath us, 
and in our pride we may say of them : " Stand thou 
there, for I am holier than thou ; " or it may appeal 
to our malice and say, your brethren and friends 
speak evil of you and do not believe you ; and all 
this can only be overcome by that charity which is 
the "bond of perfection." These are some of the 
battles we have to fight, and we can only fight suc- 
cessfully clad in the armor of charity. 



31 RS. REBECCA STEWARD, 123 

The world will display all its charms, cause all its 
glory to pass before us. It will show its mines of 
gold, its mountains of iron, its halls of learning, its 
ships of commerce. It will introduce us to its halls 
of pleasure and its walks of recreation, but with an 
eye fixed on the glory of the eternal world, the glories 
of this must fade and become as nothing. Its gold 
become as dross and its pleasures less than the morn- 
ing dew. 

We have another dreaded foe, the Arch Fiend him- 
self; who comes to us with all his power and all his 
rage. We have not only to contend with flesh and 
blood, but with principalities and powers, who will 
employ every means at their command to retard our 
progress. But we must 

" meet the sons of night 

And mock their vain design." 

We must conquer them all through the blood of 
Christ and the sign of the Cross ! In this alone can 
we conquer all our foes, this alone can help us to 
walk pleasantly in the valley of humiliation. It is 
only with the Cross of Christ on our shoulders and 
the love of God shed abroad in our hearts that we 
can walk the heavenly road. 

But with this love we can say always : " Father, 
Thy will be done." In sickness or health, adversity 
or prosperity, in afflictions and all trials we can possess 



124 MEMOIRS OF 

our souls in patience. This is the love that removes 
mountains, that makes enemies friends, and takes the 
beam from our own eye, so that we may see the mote 
in our brother's eye, and enable us to help each other 
on the way. 

If a brother is in need, or a sister in distress, or a 
mother bereaved, we are ready to lend a helping hand 
or give a word of consolation, thus fulfilling the law 
of Christ. 

Love must then pervade the soul, and unite us to 
Christ and to each other, as the sap pervades the vine 
and the branches, uniting them together and causing 
them to produce fruit. The branch cannot bear fruit 
of itself: no more can we separate from Christ ; but 
if we abide in Him, we shall bring forth much fruit. 
" If ye abide in me and my word in you, ye shall ask 
whatsoever ye will, and it shall be done unto you." 

Let us ask daily for grace to keep us in this perfect 
way, "ask and ye shall receive." We need a con- 
stant daily supply of the bread of life, that feeds the 
soul and keeps it alive in Christ. Let us go daily to 
our Father's table, that we may partake of the dain- 
ties of Heaven and grow in grace and the knowledge 
of the truth. 

" That having all things done, 
And all our conflicts passed, 
"We may o'ercome through faith alone, 
And stand entire at last." 



3IRS. REBECCA STEWARD. 125 



§fon) ortginaffi) mitUn for f)er iiiik ^ranb^on^, 
§amc^ aiib gljarfci). 

Dear Jim and Charley : 

Here is one of my stories for little folks. It is 
about a giant, that lives about here, and in fact I guess 
he lives in a great many places. He is a monstrous 
big fellow, a great deal larger than the King of Og, 
whose bed it was said was twelve feet long and eight feet 
broad. He is bigger than Goliath whom David killed, in 
fact larger than any giant you ever heard of. And if you 
ever meet with this big fellow, I hope i/ou will kill him, 
rather than become his subjects. For he is a king, 
or rather a despotic emperor ; he holds complete con- 
trol over his subjects and compels them to do whatever 
he wishes. He is always peering around, knocking 
at people's doors, and peeping into people's houses, to 
see if he can get any one to serve him. In fact some- 
times he walks right boldly into mi/ house and compels 
me to serve him. He is a wonderful fellow and I think 
he must be very old, and he is very ugly ; he is blear- 
eyed and snub-nosed, and everything else that is ugly, 
and he makes people do ugly things. He makes men 
and women strut about and think they are somebody 
— why, I have heard of so many bad things he has 



126 MEMOIRS OF » 

caused people to do, that 1 hardly know what to tell 
you first. He has made nation go to war with nation, 
he makes men fight and kill each other, and many 
years ago he made an old king dress himself all up in 
purple robes, and sit upon his throne, and declare he 
was God. He made Joseph's brethren sell Joseph 
down into Egypt when he was a little boy. And 
Absalom, David's son, to pursue after his father to kill 
him, and he caused the wicked Jews to crucify our 
blessed Saviour and kill him. 

Oh, he has done so many bad things, and is still 
doing bad ; for he makes little boys and girls do bad. 
I must tell you something he makes them do ; he makes 
little boys run away from their mother and tell lies 
and smoke segars and do a great many bad things ; he 
makes little girls primp themselves up and think they 
are young ladies, and must not help their mothers 
any more ; he makes children quarrel and fight and call 
names to get advantage of each other; he makes a 

little boy that I know call his little playmate . 

And now boys what do you think of my giant, old 
and ugly and every way bad ? Do you think you will 
be his subjects, or will you kill him when you meet 
him, as David did Goliath with a sling and stone? I 
should like to hear you guess his name, but as you 
are so far away I shall have to tell you; his name is 
" Giant Self." See what a great big fellow he is and 
what bad things he can make you do. Now if you 



3fRS. REBECCA STEWARD. 127 

don't want to be his subjects, I will tell you what you 
must do. When you meet him, for I know you will 
meet him, you must take the sling of faith and the 
stone of prayer and kill him. That is, when you feel 
any selfish thoughts coming into your heart you 
must ask your Heavenly Father to take them all away, 
and keep you from pleasing Giant Self, and make you 
good boys, help you to grow up good men, and ever 

keep you in His care 

Your grandma prays. 



The little scraps of poetry which follow, have lain 
among my mother's papers for over thirty years. I 
do not think they were ever shown to any of her most 
intimate friends. They were written mostly in 184G, 
when my mother was about twenty-six years of age, 
and were simple heart effusions, never intended for 
public eye. 

Even those addressed to particular persons I do not 
think were ever presented ; and my mother, though 
fond of the poets, seems never to have thought 
herself gifted to write poetry. I selected the few 
found in these pages from an old scrap-book, and I 
may say I regard these as the best, and perhaps the 
only ones adapted to public reading, found in the 
meagre collection. I make no corrections in them. 

T. G. S. 



128 MEMOIRS OF 



"SljoUGfif^ 5ug(jc6feb bx} tfjc 'giefurn of Jpring. 

Once more I hail the happy spring 
Tho' sadness to my heart it brings, 

It brings to mind the seasons past 
When sporting in the joys of youth 

I sallied forth to meet the spring 
And hear the birds so sweetly sing. 

But ah, those days are past and gone 

Those happy days forever flown 
And now, through weariness and care 

I wander on all through the year 
My youthful friends are fled and gone 

And not a friend for me remains 
I feel deserted and unknown 

A stranger in this world alone — 

No one with me to sympathise 

Or share with me my cares or joys 
When sore afilictions rack my frame 

And not one hope for me remains 
Even then forsaken and alone 

I vent my sighs and make my moan 
And tho, I greet the happy spring 

Yet sadness to my heart it brings. 



MRS. REBECCA STEWARD. 129 

Ifie §mcxivtxon to ffjb t0 $tmpfi) "'g^rtffen after a 

'^ime of ^ffTicfioit." 

I love the Lord, my strength, my tower, 

The Lord my rock and fortress is, 
My God my strength in whom I trust, 

My buckler and my hope of bliss. 

The Lord is worthy to be praised, 

He saves me from my enemies ; 
Sorrow and death compass'd me round. 

Death and the grave made me afraid. 

I called upon the Lord and cried: — 
My God, he heard my feeble voice, 

Out of His temple. Lo ! He came 
And bade my broken heart rejoice. 

The earth shall tremble at His word, 
The hills shall fly at His command 

He bows the heavens as their Lord 
And rides upon a Cherrub's wings. 

He will deliver me from sin, 

And set my soul at liberty, 
He will reward my rigteousness. 

If from my God I do not stray. 



6* 



130 MEMOIRS OF 

%Q a Jt^fer on fier 'gStrfiibai). 

Your birthday my sweet sister, 
"What shall my off'ring be, 
I've no rich gifts or treasures 
I can present to thee. 

But Oh ! my sweetest sister, 
I raise a fervent prayer, 
For all thy future welfare 
While thou may'st sojourn here. 

May many happy birthdays 
Roll o'er thy peaceful head, 
In good old age may you lay down 
Your life among the dead. 

And may your soul ascend to God 
And reign with Him on high. 
And praise Him in that bright abode, 
Where pleasures never die. 



MRS. REBECCA STEWARD. 131 

lo a %xm^izx on f)i0 %d\xx\i affcr a fong ^B^eucc. 

Dear Shepherd you've been wand'ring 

So long and far away 
Your sheep become disconsolate, 

Therefore have gone astray. 
Not so, the Mighty Shepherd, 

He ne'er forsakes His sheep, 
He leads them forth in pasture. 

So rich, so green, so sweet ; 
He leads them to the fountains. 

Along the crystal stream — 
They feed beside the mountains. 

Who put their trust in Him. 



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